


The Marriage Trial

by TangentDreams2



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Erotica, F/M, Falling In Love, Lies, Marriage, Relationship Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:42:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 81,949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24587065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TangentDreams2/pseuds/TangentDreams2
Summary: Sonic and Amy agree to a marriage trial to see whether or not they're compatible. During the course of the trial, the pair come to realise what it truly means to be married.
Relationships: Amy Rose/Sonic the Hedgehog
Comments: 7
Kudos: 30





	1. The 'Engagement'

**Author's Note:**

> Sonic: 25
> 
> Amy: 22
> 
> Tails: 18
> 
> Knuckles: 26
> 
> Rouge: 28
> 
> Cream: 16
> 
> Shadow: N/A

Chapter One: The 'Engagement'

The gentle rustling of the rich green leaves that shaded the hero from the beating sun sang a soothing lullaby to aid him in his afternoon nap. The blue boy rested his head against the tree's sturdy trunk and for a moment, he forgot the world around him and let the sweet whistling of the breeze in the trees take him to another realm of dreams.

As the time drifted and the sun shifted, the leaves could no longer protect him from the sun's rays. Squinting, Sonic slowly opened his eyes as he roused from his nap. His vision took a few seconds to adjust to the ray's intensity. With the help of his hand blocking out the light, his eyes were able to fully adjust to his surroundings.

Ah yes, the beautiful meadow of wildflowers with the few grand oak trees a few metres away from one another. It had become one of his favourite resting places. What was not to like? The multicoloured flowers that painted a masterpiece beneath the shining sun, the protective trees to assist in the finest naps and of course, the tranquility of the area. It was a few miles out from the city. Hardly anyone was willing to walk that far to appreciate the beauty that was this particular meadow.

A figure of pink was caught in his peripheral vision. Curious, he turned to see who had contradicted his thoughts and had walked all this way to enjoy the scenery.

The feminine figure stood up from a bed of flowers and breathed in the scent of the bouquet she had gathered. As she turned his way, there was no doubt it was Amy.

He could see her features light up upon seeing him awake. With a pep in her step, she made her way over to him, giggling with delight.

Still in a slight sleepy haze, Sonic chose to remain against the tree and simply enjoy the view.

That could've been perceived as distasteful, but even he couldn't deny the beauty she possessed. The blush pink hedgehog had blossomed into a masterpiece of the Gods' creation; Sculpted form with strong muscles beneath her pixie-like figure. Her quills, competing with his own lengthy spikes, swayed gently against her as she walked. Her radiating beauty had the power to stop time around her and leave others awestruck in her wake.

Yes, her level of beauty remained unmatched in his eyes. However, as bewitching as she appeared, to pursue such a girl was consequential. With this girl, came a ball and chain. If he got with the girl, he was to be locked down forever. Goodbye to his freedom, hello to responsibility and kids. Just as it had been ten years ago, being tied down was currently not his goal.

So rather than have this girl take his freedom, he chose to admire from afar.

"Hey!" She greeted him with a huge smile on her shimmering lips.

"Hey." He returned the simple greeting. "What're you doing out here?"

Her smile twitched slightly, followed by the glint of deceit in her eye. "Admiring the view." She said, coy sounding to match her mannerisms.

The hero grinned at her, raising his eyebrow as he saw through her lie. "Oh, well, if that's all you came to see, I'll just leave you to it." He told her, pushing himself off the tree and rising to his feet.

Knowing he had seen right through her lie, she bit her lip. "Wait..." She stopped him, holding out her hand to him. She slowly retracted her arm, now looking bashful by her deception. He turned back to her, maintaining his cocky grin that brought a blush to her cheeks. "I- err..." She stuttered.

Amy looked away from him and inhaled deeply. Why was she always so enthralled by this hedgehog? Ugh, she already knew the answer to that. The gift of speed was not the only gift he was blessed with. His devilishly handsome features, moulded in the deep craters of burning magma, tempered with a benevolent sense of justice and morality and then quenched in an ocean of cobalt blue, were created just to torment her. And of course, deeply rooted freedom was thrown into the mix to ensure her torment was magnified.

What a cruel reality this was. To be in love with such perfection, only to be guaranteed to never be more than attraction.

Although, if he agreed to her proposition, that may just change.

She turned back to the blue hedgehog but looked down at the bouquet, running her fingers gingerly over the flower petals to distract herself from her nerves. "I wanted to ask you something."

"Alright. Fire away." He answered, getting somewhat impatient with her stalling.

The girl took a deep breath and looked back at him. "I've been thinking recently..."

Oh god. Whenever this girl started thinking, it wasn't a good thing. He could feel himself needing to get away from her. Before she started sprouting ideas about relationships.

"Sonic?" Her eyes shot to his foot that had moved ever so slightly, signalling he was about to make his getaway. Her eyes slowly moved back up to look at him. So that was how he wanted to do this? If he was gonna run from her before she could get her proposal out, she'd chase him until he heard what she had to say. Her own strapped heels moved into position to take off.

Noticing her preparing for his bail, he couldn't help but smirk slightly. This girl knew him like the back of her hand. "You gonna tell me what's been on your mind?"

"Depends..." She said casually, her previous nervousness now faded. She dropped the bouquet, refusing to look away from him. "Are you going to hear me out?"

He teased her by moving his foot. In retaliation, the pink girl instinctively moved her own a few seconds out of sync. This could be fun... "Is it anything to do with me being your boyfriend?" He intentionally started the game of Catch The Wind.

"No."

Or not... He moved back to his regular stance. "Huh... So what is it then?"

There was a chance he had made a mistake in going back to regular stance because Amy was still in position to take off. "Not so much about being my boyfriend. More like... Husband." Her eyes glistened deviously.

And he was off.

Amy sprinted off after him, sustaining a fair distance from him as he jumped over the cobble wall and into the grass covered field next to the meadow. Amy summoned her hammer, slamming it in the ground just a head of her and bounced off of it, propelling herself over the wall and in front of the hedgehog. Sonic made a harsh turn to the left before she could catch him. With the speed of a bullet, the girl kept hot on his trail.

Sonic looked over his shoulder and smirked. He admired her determination. Always had. At the very beginning of their little game of chase, Amy never stood a chance. She'd run a few yards before burning lungs prevented her from running any further. As time went on, her speed and endurance increased to unnatural levels for the average Mobian.

Though still not enough to catch him. Obviously.

He lead her back over the cobble wall and through the wildflowers, grinning from ear to ear. A quiet afternoon was always nice, but having a race, no matter how significantly slower the opponent may have been, was the ultimate way to spend his time.

Looking back over his shoulder, he noticed she was no longer behind him. Coming to a harsh halt, the hedgehog span around and looked for her. She was nowhere to be seen. Poor girl, she must've collapsed in the other field. Guess that was an expected consequence when challenging the speed king to a race.

He was just about to go investigate the other field when he heard the ground rumble beneath his feet. "Huh?" He looked down at the ground.

A gaping hole appeared in front of him with the pink hedgehog resurfacing from it in a violent spiral created by spinning her hammer around vigorously. She leapt into the air and threw her hammer down in the ground, creating trembles strong enough to knock the blue hedgehog to the ground.

Amy leapt onto the blue hero, pinning him down and bearing her strong legs down onto his hips, preventing him from moving his legs. Her hands fell either side of his head as she gave him a threatening glare. "Listen." She said sternly.

Was it wrong to be fairly aroused by that whole sceptical? "Alright. You got me. What's the deal?"

Her fuming features softened. "I know you don't see yourself getting married or even being in a committed relationship. But how can you know for certain if you don't try it?"

"Ames." He spoke softly, trying to sound a delicate as he could with the facts. "You know I've tried it before."

He saw her grimace above him, making him feel guilty. He had previous girlfriends. Well, not strictly true. He had one previous girlfriend and the one or two not-so-committed relationships. The first being a respected fighter and princess of the Kingdom of Acorn, on the opposite side of Mobius by the name of Sally. A sweet woman with the same passion for justice he had. While everything had gone well in their relationship, he found himself admiring his freedom a little more than her. Planned dates, being her plus one to one too many formal events... It was too much for him.

His other interests; Fiona and Mina, well... There wasn't much of a relationship with either of them. It was all consensually open. The only thing that prevented those from continuing was growing jealousy.

With the girls being more local, they were aware of the close friendship he had with Amy. It apparently made them uncomfortable, leading him to discover that the no strings attached had an eventual development for strings. He wasn't into that.

And so he remained happily single without the need to pursue anyone.

But of course, he was aware how badly this had affected her. He could distinctly remember her devastated face when he announced he had met someone and how they had hit it off. Her devastation that she quickly masked with a pained smile. Even when his newfound love had ripped her apart, she was still there for him when he needed some relationship advice.

She always had his back. Even if it seemed as if he was stabbing hers.

"I know." She said grievously. A blush soon appeared on her cheeks. "I was talking about a relationship with me..."

Not this again. The usual proposition to be his girlfriend. That never changed. Fourteen years and she was still trying.

It wasn't that he didn't find her attractive. No, not the issue at all. It was the difference in their ideas of a relationship. She wanted it all; long term relationship, engagement, marriage, children. That wasn't something he could see himself wanting. To compromise would mean she would have to give up her dream or he would have to give up his freedom. That wasn't something he wanted to compromise either.

As sleazy as it sounded; if she wanted to simply fuck, he would in a heartbeat. But he knew what she wanted and respected her too much to give her any less than what she desired.

"Just hear me out." She cried. Desperation spilled from her regrettably. With a sigh, she sat up and spoke with her hand close to her lips, clearly coy. "I came up with a compromise that may actually suit both of us."

His eyes sparked with curiosity. The brutish thoughts filled his mind. A compromise that would let him have his freedom; all the while giving her what she wanted? And ultimately, letting him finally get to hit that sweet-

"Sonic?" He heard her voice chimed into his ears. Looking back at her, he could see her staring back at him with hopeful eyes. "What do you think?"

He gulped. Damn his intruding thoughts distracting him. "Sorry Ames. What'cha say?"

The girl let out a relieved sigh to know his blank stare had been from him literally blanking out rather than flat out hating the idea. She smiled hopelessly at him. "I said, we could have a marriage trial. A set amount of time together, as husband and wife. We'll see how compatible we are and at the end of that time period, we'll both decide if we are really meant to be or not."

A set amount of time in a relationship and deciding if it was for him? Huh, didn't sound so bad. "What if we're not compatible? Theoretically."

"If you don't think we're compatible, I'll never ask you to be my boyfriend or husband ever again."

That... That was a promising offer. Even though he was already aware of his own opinion on being committed to one person for life, thus destroying the possibility of them ever being compatible, the chance of never having this guilt riddled, ongoing conversation again was too good to pass up.

But what about her? What if she didn't want to be with him? Heh, that was a foolish question in itself. "What if you think we're not compatible?"

Even Amy had to giggle at that ridiculous question. "If I don't think we're compatible, I guess I'll actually try to maintain a relationship with another guy."

He wasn't much in the know about Amy's ex boyfriends. All he knew was they didn't tend to last long. Coincidentally, they seemed to have a similar duration to his. When he got with Sally; Amy soon got with some guy. When he broke it off; Amy was shortly single again. When he was seeing Mina and Fiona? There were a few names that came up but he never got to meet them.

It was later revealed to him by their gossiping bat friend that these men were in fact real, Amy had simply yet spitefully lead them on and then dropped these men into her friend zone and refused to show them any affection, resulting in these short 'romances'.

Why? To get back at him of course. Was it cruel and out of character for her? Yes. But assuming this started when he had broken her heart, he could see the twisted reasoning behind it.

If this trial gave her what she wanted and could guarantee she would stop being toxic to potential lovers, he was finding less reasons to reject the proposition. After all, all he had to do was hang out with her for a while and then just turn her down. She'd have what she wanted, he'd have what he wanted and they'd stay as friends.

It was the perfect offer.

"So what do you think?" She asked.

He smiled back at her. "You've got yourself a deal, Mrs The Hedgehog."

A squeal came from the ecstatic female as she threw herself onto him into a tight hug. Her enthusiasm instantly rubbed off onto him as he wrapped his arms around her and laughed at her giddy behaviour. She moved away from him slightly, their noses brushing lightly. "You won't regret it, Sonic. I promise." She smiled excitedly.

"If you say so, Ames." He smiled back at her, subsequently getting lost in the jade orbs she possessed for eyes. They were dazzling in her euphoria. So captivating... Enticing.

So captivating that his body relaxed, resulting in his hands falling from her back, to her thighs that sat either side of his midsection. His gloved hands had gently traced over her soft fur before they dropped to the ground.

That was enough to cause his mind to race.

Gah. The sexual chemistry was such a pest in their relationship. He wasn't sure when it had started but this girl had him going wild by simply brushing against him. Such a small touch would bring on those pesky thoughts; How to slyly touch her again? How far could these little touches go before something more happened?

He never let anything come of these minor touches obviously. That would mean fuelling Amy with thoughts of an official relationship.

Oh but just imagine if she'd do that stuff without strings attached?

_Don't imagine that, don't imagine that! Get her off now!_

He snapped out of his trance and realised their position. With her sat on top of him and him feeling the way he currently did, she'd no doubt _feel_ how he was feeling if she didn't get off. "Heh, Ames? Do you mind getting off?"

"Huh?" She was startled out of her trance. She looked down at their position too and giggled before hopping off. "Wrong day to wear a short skirt, huh?"

Sonic blushed... Damn this girl. He hopped onto his feet and pulled the girl up. "So." He quickly changed the subject back to the marriage trial. "What's the first steps to this trial?"

"We're gonna have to go into this knowing what the others expectancies and limits are." She told him.

"Good point." He crossed his arms and pondered his expectations, only to find he couldn't think of anything. He knew he wanted freedom but that was about to be limited. For how long exactly?

There was a lot they'd need to sit down and figure out.

"We could ask Tails to write up a contract?" Amy suggested.

With a contract, they'd have a fixed time that couldn't be extended or shortened and no compromises in between said time period. A good idea.

"Well, what're we waiting for?" He offered his hands to her to carry her to Tails's workshop. She eagerly accepted, allowing him to pick her up. Wrapping her arms tightly around him, the pair dashed to the Mystic Ruins to get their trial officiated by their fox friend.

* * *

Performing his weekly ritual of washing his beloved plane; the X-Tornado, the fox hummed a merry tune to himself as he polished the exterior of the plane, giving the aircraft a pristine shine. He had been so absorbed into making his plane look immaculate that he failed to notice the streak of indigo coming into his workshop. The scattering papers from Sonic's gust notified him.

"You better clean those up." Tails looked to his best friend, a small smile slowly grew on his face.

Sonic chuckled at the cocky young man. Years of having him as a brother figure had rubbed off on the inventor. His once timid self vanished as he aged, being replaced with this self assured eighteen year old whose mouth was as smart as his mind.

Though he was still the greatest friend all the same. "Hi to you too, Buddy." Sonic grinned. After quickly spinning a mini vortex to scatter the papers, Sonic grabbed them and placed them back into a pile on the desk. "Can you write up a contract for me, Tails?"

"Sure." He said, putting down the polishing equipment and walking over to the hedgehogs. "What kind of contract?"

"A marriage contract." Sonic replied casually.

Stunned, Tails stopped in his tracks, his shoes created a small screech on the floor in the process. He stared at the pair, uncertain if he had heard the blue blur correctly. "Did you just say 'marriage'?" He furrowed his eyebrows. "Wait, have I missed something? Are you two..." He gasped. "Are you two getting married?!" A huge smile appeared on his mature features. "You guys!" The boy cheers as he pulled the pair into a group hug. "I knew you'd both give in eventually!"

Amy giggled at the fox's enthusiasm. Sonic on the other hand was left confused by his best friend's words. Give in? To what? He hadn't even told him he was attracted to Amy... Was it that obvious? He chose not to bring it up. "We're not actually getting married."

"Oh." Tails abruptly lost his giddiness and let his friends go. "Then why do you need a marriage contract?"

"We've agreed to go through a marriage trial." Amy informed the fox. "We'll be husband and wife for a short period of time to see if we're compatible."

"... So it's an engagement?" Tails pointed out to them.

"Whoa, whoa, hey now. We're not engaged, okay? It's a trial to test if we're good for each other." Sonic said, feeling uncomfortable with the strong label.

Tails shrugged. "But an engagement is literally the time when a couple will sit down and figure out how they're gonna live together. You know, merge their lives together and compromise. That's literally what you told me you're gonna be doing."

"Still. It's not an engagement. No wedding planned anytime soon, just two of us, _pretending_ to be married for a bit."

Tails nodded back at his brother, not fully listening to his blabbering. "Okay, so anyway, congratulations on your engagement, guys."

Sonic protested against the fox's remarks, causing Amy to laugh as they continued to argue back and forth about the 'engagement'. Their disagreement continued throughout the creation of the contract, leaving Tails to come up with a little prank against his brother.

* * *

The trio sat at Tails's kitchen table. The hedgehogs sat opposite one another whilst Tails sat at the top of the table. With a cup of orange juice in hand, the fox listened to the pair talk about their desires for the trial and wrote it all down in a binding document.

"Okay. I have; Full commitment to the trial. So you know, both of you need to actually try and make it work. Compromise, a weekly date night involving both of you taking turns to plan it and... Anything else?" The fox looked at the two on either side of the table.

Amy nodded back at the fox. "Refrain from intimacy."

"What?!"

Tails and Amy looked to Sonic as he sounded his protest. The blue hedgehog soon realised his mistake, noticing Amy's surprised expression and Tails giving him a smug look. He cleared his throat. "Tails, could you let us talk about this privately?" He blushed with embarrassment.

"I can't write a document without the information. Carry on. I'll act like I'm not here." He ducked his head behind the laptop.

Expressing a low groan, Sonic looked to Amy. "If we're gonna act like we're married, don't we need to act like we're married?"

"So being married guarantees sex for you?" She raised her eyebrow at him.

The fox slurped his orange juice.

"It guarantees something..." He muttered, visibly uncomfortable to be having this conversation in front of his best friend. These types of personal conversations weren't that detailed when they spoke. Especially when it was about Amy.

"So tell me, Sonic." Amy smirked, her voice changing to an alluring tone. "What level of intimacy are you wanting with me?"

Their fox friend could be heard slurping on his juice yet again.

"Tails!" Sonic looked to his best friend.

"What?" Tails lifted his head up from behind the screen. "I didn't say anything."

Sighing out his frustration, Sonic sat back in his chair. His discomfort signalled to Amy that her teasing was enough. "Don't worry, Sonic. Since it's something you desire in this trial, I'm willing to compromise."

His ears darted towards her. "You are?"

"Sure. I'll accept everything other than intercourse." She stated casually.

Not believing what he was hearing, Tails spat out his drink onto the floor and choked violently. He got up from his seat and coughed harshly.

"You good there, buddy?" Sonic asked.

"I'm good." He responded with. raspy voice. He wheezed a few times before sitting back down. "Okay... So do I add sexual contact onto this?" He looked from Amy, to Sonic, smirking particularly at the blue hedgehog. Sonic glared back at him.

"Yes. As long as it doesn't involve penetrative sex." She stated far too casually.

Sonic slammed his head onto the table. How could she be so calm and collected about this stuff with Tails sat right there?! He could hear the young fox giggling behind the laptop screen. Surely she could hear him too? Turning his head to look at her, he was surprised by how unfazed she was by Tails's giggling.

She turned back to him, also turning her head at his angle. She smiled at him. Despite his discomfort by the whole situation, her smile brought him out of his unease and made him sit up again, returning her smile while doing so.

"Alright." Tails said. He forced himself to get serious for a moment. "The don'ts; No infidelity, must not shy from responsibility, don't take each other for granted and no penetrative sex." He looked to Sonic and Amy, seeing the girl nod more reassuringly than the blue male. He looked back at the screen. "Do's; Committed to the trial, compromise, date nights and sexual contact." He was somewhat concerned by the limited rules both hedgehogs produced. This couldn't be the only things they saw in a marriage, right?

"Sounds good." Sonic gave the young man a thumbs up.

"I agree." Amy smiled at the fox.

Tails showed his concern on his face. "Is that really everything?" He asked, unable to hold back his concerns.

The pair looked at one another, both using their body language to show their approval of the contract. They were pretty close. Spending time together was a normal occurrence. Whatever came their way, they would be strong enough to take it. "I think we're good with what you got." Sonic answered, turning to the girl a final time to see her nodding in agreement.

Tails simply shrugged his shoulders and read the policies of the contract. "This contract is a binding document confirming Sonic The Hedgehog and Amy Rose, submit to the following; To uphold these commitments stated above for the time period of one month. Failing to abide to these commitments will result in a trial where the offender will be judged by the victim and given a sentence."

Sonic frowned. "Don't you think you're taking this a little too seriously? It's literally a month of playing happy families."

"You asked me to make you a contract and I did. If you're not gonna take this seriously, you'll be immediately sentenced. I'm sure Amy can provide a suitable punishment for you... How about abstinence?"

"I hate you." Sonic crossed his arms and slouched in his chair.

"So you agree?" Tails smirked. Sonic begrudgingly nodded. "Great! I'll just have to print it off and have you both sign and date it and then it's official!" He got up from his seat and turned towards the kitchen door. A traitorous smile laced his lips. "Now, we'll have the ceremony."

Sonic jumped up from his seat. "What?!" He growled at his best friend who had rushed out the kitchen, laughing hysterically to Sonic's horror.

* * *

Making their way downstairs to the workshop, the hedgehogs were surprised to find their friends had gathered themselves to be present; Cream, Rouge, Knuckles and even Shadow. How and why were they here?

This had to be Tails's idea. That crafty fox must've told everyone what was happening and to get to workshop asap for a makeshift wedding ceremony.

Oh he could kill that fox right now.

Speak of the devil. The fox had adorned himself in a bow tie and was currently in the process of moving his desks aside to provide a more romantic setting for the ceremony. Leaving Amy's side, Sonic dashed over to the young fox and stood too close for comfort. "You are so dead!" He spoke quietly and threatening.

Tails grinned back at him. "You seriously can't expect to have a marriage contract without a ceremony. Even the courthouse expects you to have a little ceremony."

"Are you even qualified to officiate a wedding?" Sonic raised an eyebrow.

"As a matter of fact, I am. While you were talking about your safety words in the bedroom, I first notified everyone of your wedding and then I filled out an online form and got ordained."

Sonic chuckled. "You're making this a bigger deal than it has to be."

"I'm making you a wedding. What you're trying to say is thank you."

"Thanks but this really isn't necessary."

" _You_ don't think it's necessary." The fox pointed out.

"Exactly. If anything, Amy and I could celebrate our own way."

" _You_ could. But for a month, it's not just about what you want. I don't claim to be an expert on dating and relationships, but sex alone won't keep Amy happy." He told his best friend before going back to arranging the layout of the intimate wedding.

Now he just felt bad. He hadn't exactly planned on jumping straight into her bed but he hadn't really thought about giving her any kind ceremony either. All of this just seemed a bit too much for him.

But that was his own fault for trusting his best buddy with this particular information.

Walking away from Tails and toward his guardian friend, Sonic prepared himself for even more ridicule. "There's the groom! Ready to sign your life away?" The echidna asked.

"It's just for a month." Sonic stated, still bothered by everyone being there.

Knuckles looked confused. "Why are you getting married if you're only gonna last a month?"

The hero groaned. "I'm not getting married. We've agreed to try living together as husband and wife to see if we could work. If we don't, Amy stops pestering me to be her boyfriend and she'll move on."

"She said that?" Knuckles looked to the pink hedgehog across the room from them, talking to Cream and Rouge. "She's gonna move on after all this time? How long's it been anyway?"

"Fourteen years."

"Damn... So what if you do work?"

"Huh?"

"I mean, what if you actually find yourself wanting to stay with her?"

Sonic scoffed. "Dude, no. We want completely different things. She wants a life partner and I don't. With this trial, she gets what she wants and I get what I want."

Knuckles frowned. Much like Tails and everyone else, he knew of Sonic and Amy's slowly growing, budding relationship. Even when both of them were respectively taken, that didn't stop them from openly flirting with one another. In fact, their flirting was the reason Sonic had to break it off with Fiona and then Mina. Their discomfort to see him being too friendly with the pink hedgehog ultimately forced him to choose Amy over them.

Was he that ignorant to their relationship? Such a complicated, tension laced relationship that stopped either of them from moving forward?

Regardless of how he felt about his friend's obliviousness, he chose to stay out of it. He'd likely realise the facts on the way. "Alright. Well, hope it goes well for you."

Sonic smiled back at him. "Thanks, Knux." He turned to face his supposed bride on the other side of the workshop. While talking to the girls, she noticed him staring at her and smiled. From afar, they gazed at one another, their eyes softening at the sight of each other. For a moment, their friends had vanished, leaving only them in the room.

"Alright!" Tails clapped his hands together and grabbed everyone's attention. "Let's get this ceremony started!"

The blue hedgehog hated to admit it, but for the small time period the fox was given, he had really provided a decent, romantic setting. He switched off the lights, allowing the multiple candles; provided by Cream, to create a serene atmosphere. A purple sheet had been hung on the wall then covered by a chain of flowers. Small, yet effectively romantic.

Sonic rubbed his nose from his embarrassment as he and Amy made their way to the young inventor. Their friends stood behind them, smiling with pride with the exception of Shadow who was holding up a camera.

"Is that necessary?! Sonic gave a stern look to his rival.

"I want to reflect on your humiliation." Shadow said indifferently, holding up the camera and capturing Sonic's disapproving face.

Amy leaned over and whispered to her unofficial husband. "Once this is over, we bail."

He looked back at her and released a tension filled sigh. She held her self assured expression, silently and subliminally giving him the will to endure this humiliation his best friend had concocted for his own amusement. Now encouraged by his soon to be, unofficial wife, he looked to his best friend.

"Dearly beloved. We gather here today, at last minute to witness the unofficial engagement of Sonic The Hedgehog and Amy Rose. These two wonderful people who we have all had the privilege of growing up with, stand before us today to declare their undying, eternal-"

Sonic pulled on Tails's bow tie and dragged him towards him. "Keep this up, Miles and I'll take Amy's hammer and have fun with the X-Tornado." He shoved the boy back and smiled passive aggressively back at him.

The fox fixed his bowtie and frowned at the hedgehog. "This is a cashmere bow tie." Ignoring the empty threat, Tails continued on the ceremony, fast forwarding to the 'I do's'. "Do you, Sonic The Hedgehog, take Amy Rose, to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, for a month?"

"I do." Sonic said, wanting to have this over as quickly as possible.

"And do you, Amy Rose, take Sonic The Hedgehog, to be your lawfully wedded husband? For better or worse? From now, until... A month from now?" Tails asked the pink hedgehog.

Amy looked over to her groom, smiling brightly as she gave her answer. "I do." He smiled back at her, practically smitten by her endearing smile.

"By the power bested in me, I announce you, temporarily... Husband and wife." He grinned to his brother. "You may kiss the bride."

Like a pack of hunting ferals, his friends stared intensely at him, huge, goofy smiles, all waiting for that precious moment where he'd take Amy in his arms and seal the deal.

But this would be their first kiss. As much as they wanted to see this phenomenon, he wasn't one to kiss and tell.

"Alright. One sec." Sonic said casually before pulling the girl into his arms and dashing outside the workshop.

He ran around to the back of the workshop and placed the girl on the ground. He froze, lost in the deep seclusions of his mind. Unlike his fantasies, his mind sizzled in a bubbling pot of mixed emotions. Finally, at long last, he could allow the inner beast, formed by his strong restraint, to ravish and conquer the forbidden goddess of his dreams.

Only it wasn't so simple.

Even now as he stood stationed on the spot, his heart raced faster than his feet. Each palpitation resonated within him, vibrating every nerve he possessed. It was an unfamiliar, foreign feeling. A feeling that his level of experience with the opposite sex couldn't protect him from. He had longed for this moment for so long, he found himself nauseated by the anticipation.

Because no matter his desires, he couldn't ignore the void that he was about to dive into. Amy was his closest friend. The moment his lips brushed with hers, he'd be taking her hand and falling deep into a whirlpool of complexity that he wasn't sure he should thread.

It was a risk. But he had gotten so far, came too far to turn back and remain longing for her.

He needed her. To just taste those glimmering, inviting lips.

The wild within him stormed the army of doubt and drove him to make the daring move. His hands slipped into her long quills and gently gripped them in bunches. She allowed him to take the lead, staring back at him with the same longing he expressed.

Their noses brushed lightly on the way towards the meeting of their lips. His last bit of self constraint forced him to be slow with his deliverance. Although, with the tingling sensation of her lips hovering over his, a roar of passion threatened to unleash.

With the embrace of their lips, the explosion of ecstasy desolated his restraint.

He was blown away by the fireworks setting off in his mind, creating a sense of awe. Thinking was no longer a privilege as the ignited passion sent all logical thoughts on lockdown. Without logic, his hormonal beast howled it's dominance and took the lead.

With a low, pleasure laced groan, the hero moved the girl to the wall of the workshop. His hands slid down her quills, falling onto her slender back and travelling down to her thighs. He picked her up and wrapped her around him, supporting her upper body against the wall. A surprised gasped left her currently enclosed lips at his bold actions. Though as his hands ran up her exposed thighs, she found herself too caught up in his affection to even care. She moaned into their fiery kiss, gripping onto his back quills desperately to expell the pulsing pleasure within.

This was heavenly. Devilishly heavenly. With her mind and body split into two contradicting parties. Her mind was misty with the blue haze that was her new, temporary husband. All the while, her body burned against his, Scorched by his insistent passion that left her yearning for more.

She wanted nothing more to be engulfed in his roaring fiery affection.

Breaking the kiss to relieve their burning lungs, Sonic planted heated kisses against her shoulder, leading to her neck. The scent of her sweet perfume filled his nose and embedded into his memory. Such a delectable scent to that would become her evocative. "Was this worth fourteen years of waiting?" He whispered against her neck. His low, sultry tone made her lips quiver in a plea for more attention.

"Yes." She breathed out, gripping onto him tighter as the pleasure surged through her in thunderous vigor.

Feeling her body relax and begin to slip out of his grasp, Sonic hoisted her up and pressed her back against the wall, regrettably allowing their fevered hips to brush against one another. Another low groan escaped him. The heat of her own arousal was still locked under the agreed policies within the contract. He could slap himself for not being more vocal in their discussion for intimacy. He had locked himself out of her paradise and was to be teased and tortured for the next month he was with her.

Blast that binding contract.

He kissed her again, remorsefully turning down the temperature of their passion. He was more tender this time, gradually slowing the movement of his lips until their kiss was that of a simple meeting. He slowly pulled away from her but kept a close distance, their lustful eyes greeting each other as the kiss ended.

Goofy grins soon appeared on their faces as logic and reasoning came back to their minds. They both laughed, not fully knowing why. Could it have been from the major change in their relationship that forever shifted into something more than friendship, changed in a matter of moments?

Possibly. But who could care after that mind blowing kiss?

"I guess we'd better go back?" Amy suggested, trying to mask her disappointment that the moment had ended.

Sonic chuckled. "Have you seen yourself? They'll know something a little more than a kiss happened."

Even if his cobalt pelt was now in minor disarray, it nothing compared to the outcome of the rose. Her messy hair, disorderly attire and the remains of lust expressed on her face was more than enough to give away their heated affection. That sight was only meant for him and he intended to keep it that way.

"Let's get outta here." Sonic recommended. "Or else we'll be interrogated by those guys."

Amy nodded back in agreement. "What about the contract?" She asked, suddenly remembering they hadn't signed it.

Oh... Oh yes! He too remembered the requirements of their signature to fully verify their contract. A devious grin formed on the inner beast. Perhaps he wasn't lawfully locked out of paradise after all.

"Right now, let's just enjoy our marital bliss..." He teased her by lifting her chin with his finger and hovered over her lips. "Wife."

Another quiver of her lips forced his own to grin. He hoisted her off the wall and into his arms. Amy gasped, unfamiliar with the carrying position he was going for. Her legs still gripping onto his waist tightly, her body facing his and their faces just inches apart. She was so captivated by the intimate hold, she nearly missed his warning.

He lifted her legs a little higher and held onto her thighs, allowing his legs to move freely. "Hold on tight." He told her. As he felt her gripping onto his back quills, he took off in a sonic boom with the ground trembling at his power.

Witnessing the flash of blue and pink pass by the open workshop doors along with the tremors that momentarily shook the building, Tails rushed to the doors and watched the fading light of his friends. Concern swept over him again. Knowing they were walking into this arrangement blind of the consequences, he could only hope his friends could see pass their differences and learn what it truly meant to be married.


	2. The Honeymoon Phase

Chapter Two: The Honeymoon Phase

Arriving to the pink hedgehog's home, Sonic placed his newly wedded wife on the ground and allowed her to unlock the door. He watched with suspense. Once that door was open, he was going to rock her world.

Yes, years of holding back his urges dictated this. In this perfect setting where he would be fulfilling every sensational fantasy he had ever had of her without the fear of her life sentence, he was going to unleash his carnal nature.

... You know, within her rights obviously. He wasn't _that_ feral.

He found himself giddy with anticipation. Watching the key turn in the lock torturously slow before hearing the faint click. As she opened the door, the hormone driven hog swept the girl off her feet and carried her into the house.

"Sonic!" Amy giggled.

"Isn't this what newly weds do? Carry the bride in the home and then..." He paused. He didn't want to come across as the erotically charged man that he was by assuming this tradition lead to the bedroom. Honestly, he had no clue about it. He didn't know pretty much anything to do with weddings and marriage quite frankly.

Amy smirked at his hesitation, already knowing what he was thinking. That didn't stop her from teasing him however. "And then what?" He looked at her, a little startled to think she didn't know the meaning behind the romantic gesture. It was then he saw her smirking and realised she was teasing him. "Go on, Sonic. I wanna know what happens. The groom takes his bride in his arms and?"

"Something tells me it's not what I'm thinking."

"Well what are you thinking?"

"You know what I'm thinking."

"Oh do I?" She leaned against his chest and ran her fingers sensually up and down his muscular torso. Lifting her head slightly, she breathed out a heated breath against his neck and grinned to hear his breath hitch in his throat. "Does it involve something like..." Her sultry voice trailed off. Bringing her hand up to his face, she gently enticed her lover to look at her before bringing her lips to lightly brush over his own.

Too enraptured by her seduction, the hero found himself lacking the will or the want to stop her from her torturous enticement. He submitted, withstanding his own urges to kiss her hovering lips, an agonisingly close distance that trembled his self control. While his body began to ache for him to just end this suspense, he was excited to find out what she planned to do with him.

After what seemed to be an eternity, her lips delicately fell onto his. In contrast to their first kiss, Amy's kiss was sensual; heavily enforced with passion and yet so attentive to each movement of their lips.

He was enthralled.

Admittedly, he previously hadn't been one to take the sensual route. Years of running off pent up energy had reflected in the way he managed his libido. Raw, animalistic mannerisms with ungodly celerity with matching endurance that contradicted his usual calm persona. His old flames were not much different from him. They found his untamable ways to be liberating from their authoritative lifestyles.

While Amy may have been impartial to the occasional brutish behaviour from the blue devil, she was a creature of delicacy. An enchanting siren. One that had delved her way into his mind and successfully brought the beast within to a quick surrender. She was a deadly opponent in a war of love. Beast vs temptress.

There was no competition in this battle.

The pink woman continued to breakdown the blue male's sanity with her mind gripping temptation, refusing to allow his carnal ways to gain any kind of leverage. She could feel him yearning, his grip around her tightening and the occasional grunt he emitted signalled his deteriorating control. She chose to be undoubtedly cruel to his silent pleas and moaned softly against his lips.

A fatal attack to break down his repression.

Sonic dropped to his knees with the girl in arms. He swiftly lead the girl on the laminated floor and towered over her, breathing harshly through his nose as he dominated her lips. He had reached the limit of his self control. Now having the upper hand, his inner beast howled for him to ravish her and unleash the creature within.

On cue, his wife broke the kiss before he could release any wild stirrings. She pulled away, biting the bottom of his lip in the process. "That?" She finished off her original sentence.

He stared at her in bewilderment. Partially from how her wondrous passion had brought him to his knees and how she had the nerve to stop just before he was about to go completely wild on her. What was he dealing with here exactly? Not only did she have the ability to make him submissive, she also knew how to make him want more.

That temptress! She had deliberately gotten him so worked up, only to leave him desperately craving her attention.

He wanted to hate her right now. She had ultimately turned his inner beast, into a lovesick puppy.

Seeing her new husband was too mesmerised to say anything, Amy giggled menacingly and pushed him over, getting up from the ground and looking back at him. "Well dinner isn't gonna make itself." She said casually, smiling deviously back at him before walking to the kitchen.

Sonic slowly sat up and groaned with frustration. Her games, while alluring, would no doubt get boring real soon if she was going to leave him so pent up. There was another month ahead of him. A whole month of love wars with the girl of his dreams.

He could feel his sanity slipping already...

Yet he was gripped to the potential of losing his mind to her wicked ways.

Getting up from the floor, the blue hedgehog walked to the kitchen to find Amy preparing to make dinner. On one counter, she had set out a bunch of vegetables; tomatoes, chillies, a white onion, celery, a carrot, garlic cloves and herbs which which he believed were parsley and basil.

He looked over to what she was doing. She had placed her gloves and accessories aside and was mixing ingredients to make a type of dough. He leaned over her shoulder, intrigued by what she was preparing. "What'cha making?"

"A homemade pizza." She told him whilst forming the dough in a mixing bowl.

"Nice. What kind?"

"I thought we'd try a chilli dog pizza."

He chuckled at the concept. "Can't say I've ever tried that before. But putting pizza and chilli dogs together doesn't sound like a bad idea." Looking back at the array of ingredients on the countertops, this pizza may take awhile to make. Especially if she was to make it on her own. "Need help with anything?"

"How thoughtful of you." She kissed his cheek. "You can either knead the dough or chop up the ingredients for the sauce."

Removing his gloves, Sonic moved to the sink and washed his hands, drying them in a kitchen towel. "I think I can give this dough a good pounding." He clicked his knuckles.

Amy giggled to the vulgar thought in her mind. "Sonic, I need you to knead the dough. Not pound it." She dusted the countertop surface with flour and gave him a demonstration. "Work the dough, fold it in and press it out. Think of it as a woman. Don't be afraid to get handsy. The more you play it with, the better the results."

"Ohhh... So like this?" He said as he moved his hands up her waist and massaged the area gently from behind. He smirked, knowing how sensitive that area was on her. He tickled her lightly, causing her squirm and laugh in his arms.

"Sonic!" She laughed, spinning around in his arms and pushing against his chest to break away, getting flour on him in the process. "You're supposed to knead the dough, not me!"

"My bad. Got mixed up between the 'dough' and 'woman'."

She raised a defensive eyebrow at him. "Are you implying my body feels like dough?"

He purposely looked her up and down to tease her. "You do feel pretty soft." He grinned.

Playfully swatting his chest, the girl broke free of his grasp and move to the other side of the kitchen to prepare the ingredients for the sauce. "Get to work, hedgehog." She told him firmly.

"Yes, ma'am." He chuckled.

Getting to work on the dough, her words played on repeat in his mind.

_Think of it as a woman. Don't be afraid to get handsy. The more you play it with, the better the results..._

From that little piece of information, he began formulating how to incorporate her love style into keeping her happy in the more physical form. Why? Because this was the woman of his fantasies. From the moment he became accustomed to her moving into his headspace, he had placed her on a pedestal. The expectations were high and he was determined to deliver satisfaction.

More play... Better results... As shallow and conceited as it was, he hadn't been too focused on the satisfaction of his open relationships. He had always felt detached from the situation. Even when he had pleased them in ways unspeakable, it had ultimately been for his own gratification, rather than theirs.

He couldn't do that to Amy. As much as she was the goddess of his mind, she was, above all, one of his closest friends. If he was to do anything with her, he couldn't disappoint.

"Sonic?" Amy called to him, waking him out of his daydreaming. "I think you've worked it enough now."

"Oh, right." He stepped back from the dough and looked back at her own work. He was surprised to see she had diced the ingredients and had already began to sauté them all in a pot on the stove and then leaving them to simmer. How long had he been calculating love styles? "So... Now that the dough is a little senseless from the rub down, now what?"

Amy drizzled olive oil into the bowl she had made the dough in and used a basting brush to rub it around. "Put the dough in the bowl and let it prove for a while." She watched proudly as her hero did as instructed. "Nicely done, Chef Sonic."

"Heh, anything for my loving wife." He joked with her.

She expressed a faint giggle to his comment and smiled fondly back at him. As he looked back at her and exchanged the same kind of smile, the couple became lost in one another's eyes. That familiar gaze of that had become their second language. A union of softened eyes, along with admiring smiles that warmed the heart. He suspected it was another one of her abilities to charm him. Both in dream and reality.

Forcing himself out of the trance-like state, he tried to recover from his staring by squinting his eyes and leaning closer to her, setting her up for his playful prank. "You got a little..." He trailed off, moving closer to her face.

"What?" She blinked. His examining of her face left her feeling self conscious. "What is it?"

"On your face. There's-" Grabbing a handful of flour, he rubbed the power substance across her face. "Flour!" He laughed.

Amy yelped, stepping backwards from the blue hedgehog and up against the flour covered kitchen countertop. She wiped the majority of flour off of her face and glared back at her lover. "Seriously?!" She frowned when she saw him laughing hysterically. Her annoyance shortly faded when she noticed the flour behind her. Smirking, she grabbed a handful of flour and threw it back at him.

"Hey!" He chuckled, wiping off the excess flour. "So you wanna do a little 'flour' arranging, do you?" He snickered before swiping the bag off the countertop and repeatedly throwing flour at the pink hedgehog.

"Sonic!" Amy screamed, laughing as she tried to avoid the incoming attacks from the blue hero.

With the kitchen becoming a wonderland of flour, Sonic laughed along with his wife and pulled her into an embrace. As their laughter settled, the couple savoured the feeling of the comforting hug, relaxing against one another.

The heaviness in his stomach was soothed by the fluttering feeling residing in his chest that was being bathed in the heat of her chest against his own. This sickly sweet feeling was unfathomable. One he was sure he had known before but lacked such depth.

What was this feeling?

The sizzling sound of the tomato sauce spilling onto the inflamed stove alerted the hedgehogs. Amy gasped and rushed out of Sonic's arms. Lifting the lid off the pot, she sighed with relief to see the sauce for their pizza hadn't burnt away. "It's okay. Just excess water." She exhaled softly and made sure to turn down the heat.

"That's a relief." Sonic said. His sights were distracted by the mess they (or rather he) had caused. Seeing the former pink hedgehog now dusted in a coat of white, he grinned at their childish fun. "Love the new look by the way. What do you call it? Pastel pink?"

Turning back to the flour covered male, she gave him a smug look. "Maybe. And what about you? Going for an ice blue?"

Chuckling, he approached the girl and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I admit, I look pretty cool in ice blue." He smirked. "Maybe after we break the ice, we see about making you a few shades darker?"

On demand, a deep blush appeared across her cheeks. "That was..." She cleared her throat and displayed a meekly persona. "That was quite an impressive pick up line."

"Thanks." He said appreciatively before appearing to seductively grin at her. "Is it working?"

Now she was the one losing her cool.

He could hear a small squeal escape her lips as he drew closer to her, confirming his successful seduction. The beast within him roared in triumph to the small win in the battle against the siren.

Exhaling her arousal away, the girl pushed against Sonic's chest and moved away from him. "You're smooth, but not that smooth." She flashed a passive aggressive smile at her temporary husband before turning around and walking away from him. "Time to clean up." She hollered back to him as she went to get her vacuum.

Damn. Even after fourteen years of wanting him, she still denied him when he was giving her what she had always wanted.

Then again, now that he thought about it, with that many years of self control, she must've mastered her ability to hold herself back. He could really use some of that willpower right now.

Because right now, flour wasn't the only white substance he wanted to cover her in.

He slapped himself on the forehead for that lewd thought. His self inflicted attack seemed to set off the opposite reaction in his head as the image of his wife dressed in a provocative depiction of a maid played in his mind.

_Chaos, help me through this..._

* * *

With the pizza finally ready for consumption, the couple leaned over the kitchen counter, above the plate of pizza Amy had cut into triangular pieces. They each picked up a slice of their gourmet creation.

"This looks pretty good." Sonic said, mildly astounded.

Amy raised her eyebrow and giggled. "Why do you sound so surprised?"

A faint chuckle left his lips. "No offense to you. I'm surprised I helped make this, that's all."

"I couldn't have made it this quickly without your help. Thank you, Chef Sonic."

"Hey, thank you for your culinary lessons."

"Anything for my favourite student."

He looked up at her to see her wearing a sly smile on her face. He grinned. Teacher and the student. That was something he could get into.

Lifting her piece of pizza, Amy gave a toast by lightly tapping her slice against his own. "To us." She smiled.

He returned her smile. "To us."

They took a bite of their creation. The burst of flavour brought the blue hedgehog to stand up in salute to such a combination of spices. His palate was first warmly greeted to the sweet tanginess of the tomatoes, harmonized with the saltiness of the cheese. The meaty pieces of sausage on top melted when met with the roof of his mouth, spilling out it's tender juices onto his tongue. The last note was the power punch of the chillies awakening his senses. All of this flavour that was accompanied by the crispy dough he had shown his tender loving to earlier that day. Amy was right. The more he played with it, the better the results.

Chilli dogs and pizza. A mouth watering dish that could sway the angels with its deviant tones.

"Oh my god. It's like Mardi Gras in my mouth." He found himself gushing over the pizza after one bite, slumping back over the kitchen counter in a blissful state.

Amy almost choked on her food, coughing gently whilst stifling her laughter. "Is it really that good?"

"You don't think it is?" He was surprised by her lack of reaction. He was practically drooling over this food.

The girl shrugged. "A little spicy for me." She placed her half eaten slice back onto the plate and wiped her mouth with a napkin. "Think I'll save myself for dessert."

"You made dessert?" He asked. When had she done that? He had been with her the whole time.

The sight of her biting her lip and displaying signs of a coy nature made him abruptly stop eating. "I was planning on serving it after a shower." She smiled deviously, a flash of flirtation in her eyes.

He harshly swallowed the food in his mouth. "Am I allowed to know what it is."

Walking over to the fridge, Amy opened the door and guided his eyes to the condiments attached to the fridge door. She was showing him bottles of strawberry and chocolate sauce and a can of whipped cream. For a moment, he didn't catch onto what she meant until the light bulb moment in his head exploded at the possibility.

He suddenly felt his throat dry up. She couldn't possibly be instigating what he was thinking... Right? "Y-you mean...?" He looked to her in a plead to put him out of his misery and just tell him.

She pulled out a cherry from it's punnet and popped it in her mouth. "For me; a Sonic Sundae. For you..." She grinned mischievously. "Tickled pink."

His throat now too dry to come out with words, he breathed out a short breath. His head melted, thoughts sizzling in a blazing detriment of heat.

He couldn't believe it. Had he truly been blessed by the Gods above to be served the divinity that was his goddess?

Seeing him frazzling before her, Amy laughed and closed the fridge door. She walked back over to the dazed hero and grasped his left hand. "First, would you like to join me in the shower?"

There was a possibility his heart would implode. The organ within pounded so violently, his head swirled. His befuddlement left him speechless, forcing him to nod back at her, eagerly, verging on desperate.

He could only imagine just how foolish he appeared.

Giggling with delight, the girl lured him out of the kitchen and slowly upstairs into the bathroom. He looked up to the ceiling and silently whispered his gratitude to the Gods before closing the bathroom door behind him.

* * *

Through the vapour of heated steam, the beast leisurely thread on all fours. Roguish was his coat that gathered the condensated steam, falling sleek against his bluish tinted skin. He sniffed, his nose filled with pleasing sweetness; summer picked strawberries, blended with rich honey. A grunt of approval came from the brute, leading him to follow the sweet scent.

The fragrance lead him to the sounds of channelling water plunging down from boulders above and into the crystalline pool of Atlantic blue below. Warm was the steam radiating from the pool, crisp smelling and dense in the humid atmosphere. Standing within the gushing waters was a silhouette of a captivating creature, head high against the flowing aqua running down her face.

He leered over, territorial yet intrigued. Piercing eyes never left her, like a predator to it's prey. Fangs present and sharp.

The creature slowly lowered her head and turned towards him as if she was long aware of his presence. She stepped towards him, one light foot after the other, stealthily in sound in comparison to the rumbling sounds of the waterfall. Finally stepping out, the beast's eyes softened to see it was no other than his goddess.

Bare she stood in the misty haze that fell onto her exposed skin. The warm steam kissed her skin, reflecting a glistening shimmer to compliment her glossy, dampened fur. With her arm extended towards him, she beckoned him into the water, her smile and gaze mesmerising.

Bewitched, the brutish hog eased his way into the warm waters surrounding the woman and stood before her. He towered over her effortlessly, his broadly upper body and burly arms enough to easily snap her if he wanted. His softened eyes and now retracted fangs gave a promise to not perform such an act.

Her hand slowly traced over his face, lightly brushing his cheek before falling back to her side. The beast grunted at her, lowering his head and gently resting against hers. Her small arms slivered into his luscious fur as she moved closer to embrace him. His own brawny arm enveloped her, pressing her heated body against him. Another grunt left his darkened lips as the surge of pleasure enraptured him.

She gently gripped his fur in reaction to his grunting, feeling the same surge of hormones within. She lifted her head to meet his chin. A gentle butterfly kiss against his bluish skin made the beast look down towards her, allowing her to move her sweet kisses against his cheek, each kiss electrifying against his skin.

He lowered his head even further, his eyes now meeting with hers. Through the dazzling hues of green were the strong emotions within; his emerald eyes reflecting his lust for her, while hers reflected undying devotion and love for him. The goddess smiled sweetly back at him, bringing her hands to cup his face before bringing her lips to greet his own.

Sweet was her kiss; tender and mild yet just as effective in leaving the beast hypnotised. Her endearment was never changing. Remaining pure and simple through her kiss. This left the beast grunting against her lips, desperate for more of her affection. However, he refused to overpower his goddess and instead, torturously endured her spell over him.

She shortly broke the kiss, smiling at him sincerely as she held onto both of his hands and began to walk backwards out of the water. Upon exiting the pool, the girl turned around, leading him through draped, velvet red curtains and into a serene garden, filled with prize grown strawberries; rich, vibrant red and shining skin to tempt him to taste.

The beast watched as the goddess sat on a throne before him, smiling alluringly as she picked a succulent strawberry from it's vine and held it in front of the brute, enticing him to indulge. His eyes fell onto the divine fruit in her hands, his fangs bearing from his mouth in preparation to feast. He looked at her, longing his tantalising yearn to be given permission to eat from her prideful garden. She placed the berry in his hands before she crossed her legs, reaching for a blood red rose and bringing the flower to her nose, giving him a look of affirmation as she sat back and watched him dine.

His eyes remained on the goddess as he bore his fangs into the fruit, delicately eating his way through the palatable berry and savouring the taste. Fondant sweet and moreish. A taste that was too absorbing to keep holding back.

The woman smiled approvingly into her rose, giggling flirtatiously to his enjoyment. Eyes still locked onto one another, expressing hunger yet appeased. Her smile only grew as the beast grew more ravenous and exhibited his primal instincts.

He devoured. Like a famished animal to it's kill, growling and grunting as his fangs delve into the fruit in his hands. His actions pleased her. Causing her to voice her approval and shift in her throne. Her sounds only made him more carnivorous. His eyes were now away from hers and closed to heighten his senses.

Squeezing her legs together tightly, the goddess continued to vocalise her contentment. Her nails grinding against the minerals that formed her throne. Against the beast's knowledge, she began to change form to that of the enchantress he had fought against prior. Pink now darkening to magenta tone and expelled scorching heat that set the strawberry vines around them to quake in defiance to being singed. They shook violently, alerting the beast of the changes around him.

A sinister smile appeared on the temptress's face before letting out a scream of sound waves, forcing the beast out of the strawberry garden. The brute recovered from the attack, digging his claws into the ground to regain his footing. He looked up to see the enchantress hovering over head, that same devious smile across her bewitching features. He wiped his mouth and let out a deathly howl, declaring his battle cry in the love battle.

The two creatures battled on for the upper hand, with his attacks being wild and bestial while the enchantress attacked his mind with her charm. He tried to fight her advances but found himself falling short to her temptation. She used her charmed magic to bring him to his knees and proceeded to drain the energy out of him.

He tried to break free of the magic, thrashing around and growling before her but soon found himself too captivated to resist. He succumbed to her power as she drained the energy from him.

Approving of her efforts, the enchantress placed a collar around the beast's neck. She transformed back into her goddess form and knelt down before the exhausted brute, wrapping her arms around him and holding him dearly.

* * *

Wrapped up in the tangled bedsheets, the couple lay, entwined in equally exhausted ecstasy. They lay on their sides, her head resting against his chest while his chin rested between her ears. Arms securely wrapped around his torso and his own lost in her quills. For a moment, the newly weds lay in a relaxed silence, enjoying the warmth and comfort they exchanged.

Amy eventually shifted her head, making Sonic instinctively move off of her and look down at her. She looked up at him, her fatigue expressed on her face with an lazy smile. He smiled back at her, moving his hand from out of her hair and bringing it to her face. His fingers lightly brushed her cheek as he leaned forward to plant a simple kiss on her lips, tasting a mix of sweet condiments and his own essence on her tongue.

"Hey, you." He grinned upon breaking the kiss.

The girl giggled back at him, appearing to be coy once again after her lustfully assertiveness had faded. "Hey." She returned his greeting. "You okay after... all of that?"

He couldn't help but chuckle at the innocent question. After that rather concupiscent act, the contradictory, sinless question left him caught off guard.

He was elevated and surprisingly exhausted. Not just physically, but mentally too. This woman had sucked the energy out of him... Rather literally. The way she worked him up and down like a thermometer; getting him heated and then bringing him back down, only to bring him back up soon after. It was torture, but he loved it.

In fact, he loved every minute of it. His hasty ways would have never of thought to turn somebody into a personal dessert. He found his new favourite sundae was called Tickled Pink with extra cream.

Speaking of his little sundae delight... Wow. Again, he was left astonished. Not just by her tantalising ways of leaving him longing, but by her striking confidence. She beared no hesitation in exposing herself to him and as their amorous activities progressed, he found himself overwhelmed by her devious methods. Like their previous love battle downstairs, he discovered just how compelling she could be. In sensual combat, he was an amateur.

"Heh." He breathed out. "More than okay." He answered her question. "That was something else."

"A 'good' something, or a 'bad' something?" She asked. She seemed genuinely curious to know his reaction.

"Definitely a good something. That was the sweetest dessert I've ever had."

She laughed softly, trying to hide her blush by momentarily hiding her face against his chest. "You were quite the confectionery yourself." A glimpse of her deviousness returned as she grinned at him. "Perhaps you'll serve me a second serving of Sonic sundae soon?"

Sonic chuckled. "Only if I get a second serving of Tickled Pink." He winked playfully.

"Deal." She pecked his lips to seal the deal. Drawing away from the blue hedgehog, she gazed lovingly at him, hypnotised by his shining eyes dilating at the sight of her. "I l-" She stopped herself from speaking the love words that she desperately desired to say. It had been so long since she had said those three words to him, it was painful. But she knew she had to hold back. She had come too far to scare him off now.

"What?" He asked. "What is it?"

Amy laughed, this time sheepishly. "N-nothing." She said, getting off his body and sitting up. "I just realised I left the pizza out." She got off the bed and walked backwards towards the door. "I'm just gonna go and-" She bumped into the bedroom door, only just remembering they had closed it. The couple laughed at her clumsiness before she opened the door and made a swift getaway.

Watching the bashful beauty leave his sight, Sonic sighed as he fell back on the pillows behind him and stared up at the ceiling. A huge smile fixed to his lips. Finally. Years of dreaming had become a reality. The goddess had answered his carnal pleas and delivered a mighty salvation.

... Now he was aching even more for her!

Damn it!

Yes he had been satisfied if not for a moment, but he was only on a few steps on the stairs to paradise. Until he could fully gain access to the pearl temple of the goddess, he was to be forever on his hands and knees, desperate to rid himself of the insatiable craving.

And he only had a month to do that.

He smirked to himself. He had already managed to taste his prize and they had only been 'married' for at least six hours. How long could she really resist him?

**Beep, beep. Beep, beep.**

His communicator on the nightstand sounded, waking the blue hero from his inner thoughts. He turned to the device and reached for it. Seeing Tails's name appear on the screen only made him groan. He knew what was coming. If he wasn't going to be nagged for leaving the ceremony before it could finish, he was about to be interrogated by a thousand questions about any possible activities he and Amy had gotten up to.

Reluctantly answering the call, the hero held the device close to his lips. "Hello?" He said with little enthusiasm.

"Geez. I thought the honeymoon phase was supposed to be mood lifting?" Tails responded. "I take it the honeymoon _is_ going well, right?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Sonic chuckled.

"I do. Hence why I asked." His best friend laughed along with him.

Their pleasant conversation was interrupted by their echidna friend. "Yo, Sonic. How's the honeymoon? You two done it yet?"

Getting up from the bed, Sonic walked around Amy's bedroom as he spoke. "Why do you guys wanna know so badly?"

"Because it's you and Amy we're talking about." Knuckles answered.

"It's not a big deal..."

"It _is_ a big deal. After fourteen years of history and five years of you pining after her-"

"Wait, what?" Sonic stopped the red male from saying anything else. "What's that supposed to mean? I've never pined after her!" He blushed.

He could hear his friends laughing at him through the communicator. "Yeah right. So we're just gonna ignore all those times we caught you staring at Amy?"

"Don't forget the lip biting thing he does, with that look on his face." Tails demonstrated Sonic's subconscious look of arousal to Knuckles, making both of them laugh hysterically.

"Are you guys done?" Sonic groaned.

"Sorry Sonic." Tails apologised half heartedly. "We understand you're busy with Amy."

"Or is he?" Knuckles chimed in.

Now questioning his friendship status to the pair on the other side of the call, Sonic sighed heavily. "Even if something happened, I'm hardly gonna you guys."

"Come on, man. We're only messing with ya! Be a guy!" Knuckles said.

"The rose is smart to stop you from messing with her, faker. A man as ruthless as you will no doubt leave her in grave consequences."

The three momentarily paused. Sonic looked at his communicator and noticed Shadow's name had popped up on the caller ID. "Shadow? Have you been listening to our conversation?"

"I'd hardly call it listening if there's nothing to listen to. We all know Amy wouldn't let the likes of you into her bed so easily."

The blue hedgehog growled lowly. "Oh yeah? That's funny. Because I just got out of her bed." His smug attitude quickly faded when he realised Shadow had taunted the information out of him. "Aw fuck..." He breathed out and rubbed his temples.

"... Did you engage in intercourse of the penetrative kind?" Tails asked in a deathly serious tone. "That would be breeching the contract-"

"I didn't even sign it!" Sonic exclaimed with frustration.

"You verbally consented among many witnesses! You agreed to NOT take part in penetrative copulation!"

"We didn't, alright?!" Sonic ran his hand down his face in embarrassment.

"Oh..." Tails said. "So just sexual contact then?"

"Oh my God..." Sonic groaned. He was starting to contemplate hanging up on them after all the embarrassment they had caused him.

"Sonic?" Amy could be heard from behind him. Turning back to the girl, the expression of annoyance changed immediately after seeing the girl's wicked smile as she poured strawberry sauce down her naked front. "Oh my God..." The words slowly came out of his mouth.

"Sonic?" His best friend called to him.

"I have to go..." He told the fox in a trance-like state. He abruptly dropped the communicator on the floor before he thought to hang up.

"Sonic? Sonic, you still there?" Tails tried to get a hold of the blue hedgehog. He was met with a girlish yelp, followed by the sounds of flirtatious laughter. The fox and echidna appeared to be confused by what they were hearing when they heard the sounds of feminine moaning. Tails shook his head violently. "Ew. Ew. End call! End call!" He ended the call by voice command, leaving the newly weds to their honeymoon activities.


	3. Unconventional Is The New Normal

Chapter Three: Unconventional Is The New Normal

_Soundly sleeping lay the uncivilised animal, curled up on an open plain with far stretching, clean cut grass. The short blades banded together to provide a lavishly au naturale bed for the beast to rest on. Their hospitality successfully leaving the brute too easeful to be fully aware of his surroundings._

_A perfect setting to be ambushed._

_Circling the beast, the goddess stealthily and leisurely waltzed up to her opponent and smiled down at him, admiring his once harsh features now softened in his tranquil state of mind._

_She bent down and gently placed a kiss on his forehead before bearing another smile. One more sinister than the last._

_Rising to her feet, she shifted into her enchantress form_ _; darkened eyes filled with mischievous intent, glazed over by a veil of lust. The creature faintly giggled to herself before using her powers to drain him of his energy._

_The beast remained ineffective, stirring ever so slightly in his dreams. This didn't deter the siren however. His unconscious condition was just how she needed him to successfully complete her scheme._

_His stirrings became reoccurring in response to the powers of the enchantress, emitting low growls_ _in his slumber. Favouring the sounds from the beast,_ _she showed her admiration in her efforts to drain his energy. More and more, the beast would shift and stir until the effects of the enchantress had awoken him._

_Pin pricked eyes shot open and darted to the impish female. A roar bellowed from the brute, much less a cry of anger but rather a desired attempt to battle. His body was against him, refusing_ _to use any of it's remaining energy. He grunted in protest, feeling somewhat enfeebled by his current vulnerability and yet, passed his need to dominate, he became gradually and somewhat willingly compliant to her supremacy._

_Yielding to the enchantress, the beast cried out a final howl before collapsing back against the grass. He breathed heavily, at first rapid and harsh, but he soon found himself overwhelmed with rapturous bliss and relaxed against the soft green beneath him._

_Breathing slowly..._

_Deeply..._

_Gently..._

"... Did you just-?" The blue male sat up slightly, using his elbows to support him as he looked at the girl in front of him. She grinned back at him before climbing off the bed and turning away to wipe her lips with her index finger and thumb.

"Wake you up? Yes." She looked back at him with a mischievous grin. "I had thought of shaking you but that way was a lot more fun, don't you think?"

Sonic blushed, grinning sheepishly and scratching the back of his head. He was still too disorientated to answer after just being woken up and by her methods of waking him. He was happily adrift with the clouds, leisurely relaxed, however so baffled. To be risen by such an exhilarating high left him just that; too high to come down.

He could get used to that alarm.

Forcing his slothful body to fully sit up, the hedgehog gave himself a moment to take in his surroundings; in the comforts of Amy's bedroom. Stripped of it's once girlish appeal and replaced with an elegant design of navy blue and blush pink tones, complimented with white and gold furnishings. Colours he was surprised to see together. It worked. With the shades of blue and pink being close to their own pelts, apart of him believed her decoration was symbolic. Forever reminding herself that she belonged with him, no matter who she allowed into her bedroom.

As much as he didn't want to put hope into Amy's head about the two of them being a thing, he had to admit, he could get used to staying in her bed. Sumptuous memory foam mattress and lavish cotton sheets, not to mention the beautiful cuddle buddy. Four days of cuddling in the sponge pad bed made him somewhat disappointed in knowing this couldn't last forever.

Speaking of cuddle buddy, he was surprised to see her zipping up knee high black boots over what seemed to be an outfit inspired by Rouge; a black, body hugging jumpsuit that zipped to her neck. She covered the outfit with a robust, sleek vest for what he could only assume was for protection. To add to her protective gear were shoulder, elbow and knee pads. Just what was she planning on doing to involve that much protection?

"That's a new look for you." Sonic said. "Got inspiration from Rouge?"

Slipping her hands into black fingerless gloves, the woman looked to him, flashing a minimal smile. "Yes actually. One thing I've learnt from Rouge; jumpsuits are best for agile activities."

Agile activities? At this time in the morning? According to her alarm on the nightstand, it was 4:00am! If any agile activities were to be happening at this ungodly hour, it had to involve her getting back in the bed.

Her husband raised an eyebrow towards her. "What agile activities are you talking about?" He could feel himself heating up just thinking about the potential answer.

"Not what you're thinking I'm afraid." She giggled slightly to see him deflate in disappointment. Attaching her holsters onto her outfit, she explained the situation to the blue hedgehog. "I know it hasn't been a week yet but something has come up that I think you'd appreciate as our first date."

A first date that involved her dressed as a voluptuous spy? That was convincing enough. "Alright. What's the situation?"

Pulling out a device, the pink hedgehog pressed the centre button and showed her husband the information panels that appeared on the small screen. "There's been signal readings from the Mystic Jungle. A highly powerful artifact that could be devastating if placed in the wrong hands." She paused as she tied her quills back into a ponytail. "Which is why we are gonna go and retrieve it."

A grand adventure for their first date? That was right up his street. "Sounds good to me. When are we going?"

Amy looked down at the device in hand before looking back at him. "I'll give you ten minutes to get yourself cleaned up. The sooner we get there, the less commotion we'll likely find." She told him as she walked out of the bedroom.

Commotion? He could already sense he was going to enjoy this date. "This should be good." He told himself, grinning widely with excitement. Leaping out of bed, the blue blur grabbed his attire and ran to the bathroom to ready himself for the action packed date awaiting them.

* * *

Slipping out into the early dawn, the couple raced across the lands and waters to the Mystic Jungle. A journey that would have taken her hours by plane, excluding the time she would have to wait for Tails to be available to take her. Thank Chaos her lover had unmatchable speed without the need for a vehicle. Not only was he faster than most forms of transport, he was a lot more stealthier than any plane could be.

Nearing their destination, the pink hedgehog directed the Sonic to a hilltop a safe distance from the temple. From there, she was able to scope out the ruin, as well as the enemy surrounding the place.

Holding up her device, she scanned the perimeter for lifeforms. "Interesting..." She frowned at the screen.

"What is it?" Sonic asked, looking over her shoulder at the infrared scanner.

"Looks like the military wanted to see what these energy spikes were too. They've captured most of the bandits that were looting the place and are, more than likely, assessing the area for the artifact."

Sonic looked back at the temple, seeing Amy's summary of the situation happening a few metres away. "You still wanna go and get whatever's in there?" He asked, still eager to face some action.

His wife placed her device back in the holster and smirked at him. "Of course. We didn't come all this way for nothing." The sound of a helicopter in close proximity was heading their way. A military aircraft, no doubt searching the area for anymore happy-go-lucky bandits. "Quick, kiss me."

"Huh?"

"If they perform an infrared scan, we'll be no better off than the bandits. Plus, they might notice the blue streak running around, immediately blowing our cover. Best bet is to act like two rebellious teenagers, messing around in the forest. Ignorance is bliss."

He grinned. "Anything to get my attention." He said sarcastically as he pulled her body against his.

"I'd be lying if I said that wasn't a bonus." She returned his grin just before their lips locked. Getting into character, the girl allowed the blue hedgehog to take the lead. His hands roamed her waist and back, picking up on the sensual techniques she had taught him. Appreciating his touch, Amy moved her own hands into his quills, lightly massaging them. He grunted in response, deepening the kiss in response to her tenderness.

Her eyes slowly opened once hearing the helicopter was now flying over their heads. Having previously experienced the militaries surveillance software, she knew they could easily search up their information on their database if they had a chance to hack into either their communicators or her device. To prevent that from happening, she would need to make up a convincing story to deter their suspicion.

Breaking the kiss, Amy leaned in close and whispered to Sonic. "Play along."

Looking through the monitor at the footage of the infrared scanner, the pilots noticed the two heat signals under a tree.

"Hey Dave, check it out. Two teenagers gettin' it on." The serviceman smirked.

His ally squinted his eyes, feeling wary to see two citizens in the middle of the forest, a few miles away from civilisation. "Seems a little odd for kids to be out here at this time. Run a background check on 'em. They could be a pair of thugs."

Nodding back at his copilot, the soldier attempted to trace their IP addresses, only to soon realise neither of the hedgehog's were carrying mobile phones. "They're not carrying mobile devices."

Dave frowned. "Now that's just suspicious, ain't it? What kid doesn't have a phone these days?"

Leaning forward to see the couple with his own eyes, the pilot shortly sat back and shrugged. "My guess is, these two have sneaked out of their houses in the night and hooked up. Left their phones switched off, at home so nobody could contact t'em." He received a disapproving frown from Dave. "What? You never sneaked out the house to meet a girl?" He was met with silence. "Oh. My bad, man. I get it, we can't all be lucky with the ladies."

"Just shut up and switch the audio on." Dave scowled at his copilot and steadied the helicopter as they listened to Sonic and Amy's conversation.

"We have to get back soon." Amy said in an altered voice, more naive and youthful. "My dad will kill you if he finds out about this."

"C'mon. At least stay out here a little longer."

"You know what he'll do if he finds out I'm with you."

Sonic chuckled lightly. "He doesn't scare me. Let him come at me. He can't stop us being together."

"Oh Bobby." Amy swooned before kissing her lover.

Feeling smug to hear his theory had been proven, the soldier showed his smugness on his face as he turned to Dave. "Told you so." He crossed his arms and grinned in triumph.

Sighing at his ally, the pilot rolled his eyes and mentally declared that his copilot needed an immediate break from the search, for his sake. "Whatever." He mumbled as he switched off the camera and began to head back to the ruins. "Time to report back."

"Aw come on. Don't tell me you're upset with me again."

"Don't test my patience, Stan." Dave held a frown on his face as he flew the helicopter back to the temple.

Watching the helicopter fly away, the couple smiled at one another and exchanged high fives. "Who'd have thought that would've actually work?" Sonic said in amazement.

"Tell me about it. With your acting skills, I thought we'd be captured for sure." She laughed at his offended expression.

Holding out his hands in a defensive position, the blue hedgehog held a light hearted smile to show there were no hard feelings to her teasing. "In my defense, you came up with the idea to improvise at last minute. 'Sides, you know I'm not much of a wordsmith."

With her hands behind her back, his wife smiled impishly, hardly listening to his excuse. "Is that your way of telling me you've never role-played before?" His silence caused her to tut back at him. "Sonic. Do you ever foreplay with your lovers?"

Now she was getting too personal. Of all the people who would question his activities with his ex's, he never expected her to be one of them. His cheeks burned in his embarrassment. "Yeah... Just not anything too slow is all..." He said vaguely, turning away from her to hide his growing blush.

"I guess 'gotta go fast' isn't just a custom you stick to on the run then?" She giggled.

He shot a glare at the pink hedgehog. "I don't mess around..." He inhaled deeply in annoyance, aimed at himself. He was really making himself out to be a real jerk to his lovers.

Amy raised an eyebrow at him. "So you don't do a lot of foreplay?"

"I just get the job done, alright?!" He blurted out, immediately regretting his words. He facepalmed and ran his hand down his face, letting out a frustrated sigh. "That came out wrong..." He looked back at her with an apologetic expression. "I get a little... I dunno, distracted whenever I'm, you know."

Her face signalled her perplexity, leaving him wallowing in embarrassment. Rubbing the back of his head, he tried to explain as best as he could. "I used to kinda... switch off with Mina and Fiona."

"You dissociate from the situation?" She theorised.

"Yeah..." He looked around in hopes of lessening his humiliation.

Seeing him rather uncomfortable by the questioning into his past encounters, his awkwardness radiated onto her, making her feel bashful and nervous to confront him on the nagging thought in her mind. She rubbed her wrist behind her back to maintain her anxiety. "You seem rather alert to me."

"Heh, well yeah. I mean it's you."

The pink girl gawped at him in bewilderment. "Me? What about me?" She asked, her eyes sparkling with optimism.

Sonic gulped, realising how misleading his words could potentially be. "I mean you're one of the closest friends. So as a close friend and current spouse, I can't disappoint."

He was really beginning to see just how bad with words he really was. That explanation was just as bad, if not worse than his previous description of his disconnection during sex. Not only was he showing his lack of interest in his previous partners' satisfaction but he had also made it seem as though he was only trying to satisfy her because of an obligation to their friendship.

And seeing her smile through the pain he had just delivered was making him feel like the biggest jerk on the planet.

"We should probably get going." Amy insisted, looking away from the blue hero and down towards the ruins.

Brushing off the guilt riddling his heart, Sonic nodded back and stood beside her, also looking down at all the soldiers and their weaponry. "I'm guessing we're taking the evasive route?"

"Yes. Sorry to disappoint you but one glimpse of you running around and our whole cover is blown. Don't let them see you." She told him.

"Got it."

He began to contemplate the best way of getting into the temple. Running straight in was a possibility but the harsh winds passing the troops below could raise some alarm bells. Improv was definitely out and a full blown assault was the riskiest option.

Leaning against a tree, the blue hero exhaled and continued to think through their options. It was then that he looked up at the tree and slowly formed a grin. "I have an idea."

He grabbed her hand and pulled her into his arms before she could question his motives. Rushing down the hill, the hero moved into closer range, within the surrounding forests. He shortly placed the girl back on the ground and moved towards the grand trees.

"Sonic?" Amy spoke quietly.

The blue devil simply smirked back at her before jumping into a spin dash and spiking his quills to tear through the thick trunk of the tree and knocking it down. The falling tree created a domino effect, knocking into the trees aligned next to it and one by one, causing the trees to tip over and crash heavily onto the ground. The tremors shook the ground around them, grabbing the attention of the military.

"Something's in the forest. East side." A soldier called out to his squad, cocking his rifle and keeping his eyes on the direction of the fallen trees. His squad covered him, cautiously walking towards the deforestation and keeping their weapons aimed.

Carefully threading through the thicket, the soldiers spread out to find what they believed were more bandits planning an assault to rescue their captured comrades. Being wary of their footing, they scouted the area for any thugs.

Providing the perfect opportunity for Sonic and Amy to sneak by.

Carrying his wife, Sonic sped round to the entrance, successfully getting inside with little to no hassle.

"This is almost too easy." Sonic bragged, rubbing his nose and grinning widely as he poked his head around the corner of the entrance to see if the soldiers had returned from their search.

"Don't get cocky just yet. The closer we are to the artifact, the more powerful our enemies will be." Amy warned him to be cautious.

"Heh, bring it 0n!" He boxed the air in front of him. "They'll be no match for Mr and Mrs The Hedgehog."

His wife gave him a humoured smile. One that was genuinely heartfelt to be given that title. She could imagine it now; Mr and Mrs The Hedgehog, on whirlwind adventures that could make the most travelled vagabond to eat their heart out.

Hearing the male hedgehog's whistle echoing through the airy, high-ceilinged ruin woke her from her daydream. "Just look at this place." He looked around in awe.

Amy joined him in his state of awe, looking around at the abandoned temple and admiring it's aesthetic serenity.

Once limestone structured walls and pillars were now decorated in overgrown moss and vines. Their soothing green was given its chance to shine by the rays of moonlight; soon changing to sunlight, peering through the cavities in the ceiling above.

The morning breeze swept through the cavernous entrance room, directing them further into the temple, towards a deep chasm that once stood a shrine to an unknown deity.

The couple look to each other, using eye contact to determine their next move. Their heads nodded in unison, both silently agreeing to check out the bottomless pit. They ran towards the chasm and stopped a few feet away as they noticed the freight elevator that had been installed onto the chasm wall.

"We don't have a lot of time. If they get their hands on that artifact, who knows what they'll use it for?" Amy feared, looking over the edge of the chasm and seeing a few agents in the lightened elevator, heading down towards the dark.

Sonic stepped forward to view the depths of the chasm when his ears darted towards the sound of a heavy boot kicking a stone. The hero instinctively grabbed the girl and dashed behind one of the moss covered pillars. Pressing his wife harshly against him, the blue hedgehog cautiously peered around the pillar to see two soldiers carrying assault rifles coming their way.

Quickly winding his neck back to Amy, Sonic focused intensely on the sounds of their heavy footing while he thought of a quick solution to dispose of the soldiers while keeping both of their identities hidden. His best bet was a solo attack. Speed over stealth.

"Stay here." He whispered to the pink hedgehog.

Amy momentarily frowned at him. It seemed even after all these years, Sonic saw her as the girl who had to be saved. To stand back while he took to the spotlight. Adorable, if not a little pretentious. Still, given the soldiers were now too close for comfort, she'd allow him to play the big hero. With a small, submissive smile, Amy nodded back at her lover.

Sonic looked back at the soldiers once more before spin dashing from behind the pillar and towards the two soldiers. His high speeds pummeled into the unsuspecting pair and sent them hurling across the ground.

"Alright." Sonic grinned to himself upon resurfacing from his spin dash. He was just about to return to his hidden wife when he heard a cocking weapon behind him. He froze, surprised to discover his powerful attack hadn't completely knocked out one of the soldiers.

"Sonic The Hedgehog?" The soldier questioned him, causing Sonic to scrunch his features in his failure.

The soldier slowly rose to his feet, his gun remaining on his target. "Hands behind your head, now!"

 _Fuck..._ Sonic sighed and slowly raised his hands behind his head.

"Stay where you are." He ordered, carefully approaching the rogue hedgehog. Then he abruptly stopped. This man before him was _the_ famous, Sonic T. Hedgehog. If he was here to claim whatever his officials were after, this had to be more serious than he and his comrades had originally assumed, right?

His thoughts were cut short as he felt someone pressing against his back and then proceed to move their hands up his chest. "Mmm. I've always loved a man in uniform." Amy whispered seductively into his ear.

The soldier attempted to look over his shoulder at the woman. His eyes constricted to see the mesmerising enchantress smiling flirtatiously back at him. "W-wha-?" He muttered in his astonishment.

"Nice gun. Wanna put it in my holster?" She winked at him.

His breathing ceased, too dazzled to say or do anything. Using his stunned condition against him, the girl grabbed the rifle loosely residing in his hands and forced the weapon up into his face, knocking him out instantly. She stepped back and watched as he dropped to the floor.

"Now drop and give me sixty nine, soldier." She grinned at her own pickup lines. Placing her hands on her hips, she turned to her husband and shook her head at him. "You had one job." She tutted at him. Her grin grew to see her hero faintly blushing.

"Are we gonna just ignore the whole flirting with the soldier thing and focus on me failing?" He crossed his arms and stared back at her with a look of condemnation.

Amy tilted her head slightly, at first surprised to hear him calling her out on her behaviour but soon smirked at the idea of him being jealous. "For a moment there, I thought I saw you turning green with envy. Does my flirting with others bother you, honey?"

Yes. It bothered him a lot more than he wanted to admit. More than it probably should have bothered him. Looking back to see her hands on that man made his blood boil. Why? He couldn't quite explain. She had done it to save him after all. Even when he understood the reasoning for her actions, he couldn't help but grind his teeth to see her touching another man in front of him.

But he wasn't about to tell her that. He scoffed and turned away from her. "Jealous? Me? Puh-lease. If you can't remember the terms and conditions to this contract of ours, one of the agreements was no infidelity. I'm simply sticking to what we agreed." He said as a matter of factly.

"I saved you from a bullet to the head. I think we can excuse that little moment of jealousy."

"I told you I wasn't jealous."

"Okay..." Amy said, not believing him for a minute. She grinned at him, leisurely walking up to him with her hand on her hip. "But you totally were jealous."

"I wasn't." He too placed his hands on his hips and faced off with the pink woman.

"But you were..."

"Wasn't!"

"Were."

"Are we interrupting?" An unknown voice grabbed their attention. Turning towards the owner of the voice, the couple were startled to see the agents that had been descending into the abyss were now at the top of the chasm, in the elevator, staring at them with apathetic expressions. "Get them." The agent ordered, pointing at the hedgehogs.

"Guess it's safe to say our cover's officially blown." Sonic thought aloud. Exhilarated by the upcoming action, Sonic spin dashed towards the trained fighters and began to fight them.

Two of the agents ran passed the blue hedgehog and towards the pink female, charging at her with break next speed.

"Wow. You guys are pretty fast." Amy said with false astonishment. Pulling out her hammer, she forcibly threw the weapon at one of the agents, sending him flying back and knocking him unconscious. "Too bad going too fast shortens your reflexes." She shrugged.

"Hmm... Can't relate." Sonic said, momentarily pausing from the fight before punching an agent to the ground.

"Of course you wouldn't, speed king. You're too fast to let anything go over your head." Amy responded, performing a low kick in the shin on her enemy and then roundhouse kicking them in the jaw. The agent groaned as they struggled on all fours.

Flipping back from the fight, the hero charged back at the agents and spin dashed into them, striking them down effortlessly. "Well, I know one thing that I'll let go over my head." He grinned uncontrollably.

Amy looked back at him, a flirtatious smirk gradually forming on her features to his flirty banter. "Did it just get hot in here, or is it just you?"

"Yeah, looking at you has got me pretty heated." He looked back at her and smirked.

Impressed by his quick witted comebacks, Amy made sure to put an end to the fight by slamming her fist into the last agent's face right before power walking towards her lover and showing him just how much she had been affected by his tantalising banter. She kissed him firmly, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck and pressing herself against him.

His response was prompt, grabbing her waist and returning equal passion and aggression. This was his style of affection. Raw and lustfully driven. He grinned against her lips in knowing he could gain the advantage in this situation. For once, she would be taken away by his prowess.

He dominated the kiss, deepening the libidinous passion so greatly, her mind fell into a raunchy haze. She moaned loudly, eagerly pressing her body against him in a unspoken plea. Her desire for him fuelled his own craving. Given how desperate her kiss had become, there was a chance she wanted him how he had been wanting her.

But given the fact that she had been the one to make it clear that penetrative sex was off the table, _and_ had been continuously teasing him since they had started this marriage trial, he was going to give her a taste of her own medicine.

His hands roamed her body, groping her from her waist, to thighs. His fondling caused her back to arch, pressing her body harshly against him. She moaned just as loud as before, following by desperate whimpers. "I want you." She whispered breathlessly to him upon breaking their heated kiss.

Sonic smirked. "You want me? Right now?"

"Yes."

"What about the artifact?"

"It can wait."

He pretended to be uncertain. "Hmm, I don't know. I mean, these guys could wake up..."

"They can watch."

Okay, maybe she was a little too wild right now. He chuckled softly. "We can't break the contract, Ames. It's legally binding."

"Are you going to tell Tails about this?" She asked him, her voice tainted with seduction. "Don't you want to just... bend the rules?" She moved in close once more. "I'll let you do the same to me."

_What are you doing?! She's serving herself on a platter! Take this opportunity and smash!_

_Whoa, whoa. Let's not get a head of ourselves. Yes, she's giving us the opportunity, **but** if we've got her like this and we leave her with this frustration, she'll be over us in future. She's pretty crazy right now, can you imagine what she's like if there's more pent up tension?_

_**Or,** hear me out... We just smash._

_No._

_C'mon! She wants us. She needs us!_

_No. Stick to the plan. We tease her, up the score in the love war and wait for her to cave in._

With every ounce of resistance in his body, the blue hero regrettably turned down the glorious opportunity. "Tempting. But we made a deal. We gotta stick to it."

Lowering her head and resting it against his chest, Amy exhaled the heavy tension away. "You're right. We made a deal so we'll stick to it." She moved out of his grasp and walked away from him, towards the abyss.

He was both frustrated and proud of himself. His self control was growing and he had won another point the little love battle; seven to nine, with her ahead of him.

At the cost of his one true desire.

Damn. Why had he decided this was what he wanted? He could've been fulfilling both of their needs right now, contract or not.

Ugh. He hoped that wouldn't be the only opportunity.

The woman peered over the ledge and then looked back at him. "We have two options; elevator or free fall?"

"Do you really have to ask?" He asked in a sarcastic tone and grinned.

"Of course, you're right. How silly of me. Elevator it is." She joked, turning away from her husband and proceeding to walk towards the elevator.

Chuckling at her antics, Sonic decided to take their jokes and banter to a whole new level. He ran up to the pink hedgehog and pushed her off the ledge and spin dash after her.

Her screams chimed through the temple, bringing a big grin to his face. He was having too much fun at her expense. Chaos only knew how mad she was going to be when they reached the bottom.

The thought was funny enough.

Seeing the girl flip over to look up at him, he could see the fury in her eyes, the pout on her lips showing that his little prank was in no way appreciated. He smiled back at her, a genuine smile to reassure her that no harm would come to her.

Spin dashing to her side, the blue hero pulled her into his arms and jumped towards the wall. He ran down the walls, jumping from either side until they reached the bottom. He landed harshly on his feet, creating a dust cloud in his landing.

Placing the girl on the ground, the hero was met with a set of swinging punches from his wife. "H-hey!" He laughed, shielding himself from her attack. "Calm down."

"Calm down?! You pushed me off the edge!" She yelled at him, changing her tactics from punches to wrestling. She jumped on the hedgehog, knocking them both to the ground to brawl with him.

Sonic couldn't help but laugh during their tussle. Even when she was angry, she looked adorable. "You survived, di'nt ya?"

"You're just gonna justify pushing me down a thirty metre drop with my survival?!"

"Yeah?" He chuckled. His laughter caused him to receive a punch in his gut. "Argh!" He laughed harder.

"You're such a jerk!"

"Heh. At least we're even now."

She glared down at him, silently evaluating the meaning behind his words. "Even? ... Is this about the flirting with the soldier thing?" He grinned back at her. "Wait. So I flirt with a guy to save your life and you push me to my death to get even with me?"

"When you put it like that, it sounds pretty bad." His grin became a sheepish smile.

"I'd hate to be the girl that cheats on you if you're willing to kill me over touching another guy." She jumped off the blue hedgehog and pulled him to his feet. "Guess you really were jealous, huh?" She appeared to be smug.

"I wasn't! I'm still not! But if it strokes your ego just right, you can believe I was jealous."

"Oh, it really does." She smirked at him.

A blinding fuchsia light shined from the end of the long path leading to a pedestal. The light forced the couple to cover their faces with their arms, eyes squinting as they tried to look at the glowing jewel.

"That's it! The artifact!" Amy cheered. In a haste, she took off towards the jewel, being careful to not look directly into it's light.

Sonic ran after her, catching up to the pink hedgehog with ease. As the pair drew closer, he noticed the outline of the gem was shaped like a sol emerald. This left him perplexed. Why was there a sol emerald in their dimension and how did it get here to begin with?

Coming to a halt in front of the gem, Amy exhaled a sigh of content and slowly walked towards it. "There it is. The sol emerald."

Her husband raised an eyebrow at her. "You knew we were looking for a sol emerald?"

"Thought it would be a little surprise for you if you didn't know." She smiled back at him. "While we may have caused a little commotion for the military and possibly committed treason, we also saved everybody in this jungle from..."

She placed her hand on the sol gem, resulting in a blazing fire ball appearing behind them. A silhouette of a tempered woman appeared in the centre, bright eyes glaring down on the hedgehogs. Stretching out her arms, the woman extinguished the fire and slowly lowered to the ground before them, hands engulfed in flames and ready for battle.

"Her." Amy finished her sentence.

Shortly realising who had found her sol emerald, the cat calmed down and disposed of her flames. "Oh, hello you two." Blaze spoke calmly as she greeted the hedgehogs.

"S'up Blaze? Missing an emerald?" Sonic waved at the princess.

Blaze nodded back at him. "I've been searching for the emeralds for months. I would not have guessed they would've ended up in this dimension." She turned to Amy. "Thank you for your assistance, Amy."

"No problem." She responded, passing the emerald over to the princess. "It's a good thing we got here on time. The military were planning on exploiting it's power for a new range of weapons."

Blaze shook her head to this information. "They wouldn't know how to use it even if they were to get their hands on it. It is thanks to you two, they couldn't get the opportunity. Is there anything I can do to show my appreciation?"

Amy placed his finger on her chin. "Well, I don't know if you can but is it possible to erase the memories of the soldiers here? Sonic was a little clumsy and blew our cover." She smirked and the frowning male.

"I'm sure that could be arranged." Blaze gave a nod to the pink hedgehog. She closed her eyes, focusing on her thoughts as she held the emerald. The jewel began to glow and levitate in her hands, flashing a beaming light before it slowly lowered back into the princess's hands and returned to it's normal state. "There. When the soldiers wake up, they will have no recollection of the sol emerald or your failure to protect your identities."

"Thanks... I guess?" Sonic scratched his head at the cat's indirect insult.

Blaze bowed her head at the couple. "If you'll excuse me, I have duties I must fulfill." She said, turning away from Sonic and Amy and vanishing in a veil of flames.

The hedgehogs looked at one another and laughed softly at the cat's abrupt leave. "She hasn't changed, still as disciplined as ever." Sonic chuckled.

"She's come a long way from being the uptight girl she used to be." Amy pointed out.

"Yeah that's true. She's actually changed quite a bit now that I think about it." He looked over at the woman beside him and smirked deviously. "I mean she's a lot more fun to hang out with, she's a good ally to have on the team... And not to mention, she's literally the definition of smoking hot."

Amy laughed in a passive aggressive manner. "Oh really?" She turned to him. "Is that how you see her?" She smiled at him, masking her growing temper.

Her growing temper only encouraged his mischief. "Yeah. What's not to like? Her strength, her abilities, her body..." His grin got progressively bigger as he could see Amy steaming next to him.

"Well, if you feel that way about her, I hope she'll be the one showing you a good time later." She said in a shrewish tone.

Sonic chuckled and wrapped his arms around her, holding her from behind. "I'm just kidding. You're the most beautiful woman in my eyes."

Did... Did that just come out of his mouth?

"Really?" Amy asked, tilting her body to the side to look back at him.

"Uh..." He blushed, suffering from a moment of trauma to hear himself speak such truth. His own mind had betrayed him. The swirling of his stomach triggered the feeling of nausea to be faced with the aftermath of his revelation. Not fully knowing what to do with himself, Sonic simply smiled, unintentionally sheepish. "Sure..." He said awkwardly.

She stared back at him in astonishment. "I think that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me." She spoke softly and sincere.

"Aw, that's not true. Just the other day, I said you were amazing at using your tongue."

She swatted his chest. "You always have to ruin the moment." She tutted at him.

"Heh, I try." He teased. He pulled the girl into his arms and started jog down the long path in preparation to run up the wall and out of the temple. "Let's go and get breakfast. My treat. To make up for nearly killing ya."

"And for trying to make me jealous over Blaze?"

"At least you know how it feels..."

"Ah-ha! So you were jealous!"

"I wasn't!"

"But you were."

"I was not!"

Amy giggled and nestled against his broad chest. "You so were..."

* * *

Residing against the firm oak tree in the flower blooming meadow, the couple enjoyed their blueberry muffins and iced lattes to go as they say back and listened to the calm sounds of the gentle breeze.

Looking up at the sky, Amy smiled contently at the cloudless, blue sky. "So Sonic, on a scale of one to ten, how much did you enjoy our first date?"

Sonic kept his eyes closed, relaxing peacefully beside his wife. "Eight. You lose points for waking me up at four in the morning and for flirting with another guy in front of me." He snickered at the thought of her face being in disbelief.

"You know, for someone who says he's not bothered by me flirting with others, you really seem to be talking about it a lot."

"I told you, I'm actually taking the husband role pretty seriously. No man wants to see their wife caressing another man in front of 'em."

Amy frowned at his pretence. Had he been okay with it, surely it wouldn't be running across his mind the way it had been. "Sonic..." She called for his attention with a sincere yet solemn attitude. "If it really does bother you, it's important that I know." She looked away from him and blushed lightly, fearing what she was about to confess to. She gulped. "If I run into trouble on a mission, I usually flirt to get out of it. If that bothers you, I need to know so I won't do it again."

Now he was looking at her, somewhat disappointed in her for using mind games to gain victory over her enemies. She was better than that, stronger than that. Her fighting skills and abilities with her hammer were more than enough to defeat her foes. It was playing dirty and something he never assumed she would turn to.

But he already knew about this tactic of hers. Well, he knew she had done this to get all these boyfriends he had heard about. He wasn't aware that she had used this technique on the men she had no interest in pursuing.

He blinked, bemused yet intrigued to finally understand her reasoning behind this."Why?" He asked.

She was coy again, naturally or intentionally trying to come across embarrassingly shy, he wasn't sure. "Rouge taught me that flirting or inappropriate contact with the enemy is the best distraction from the fight. They either seem to be very uncomfortable or enticed? Either way, their guard is down and it takes less energy to get them to surrender."

"Don't you think that's a little... manipulative to be flirting with guys to get your own way?"

His words stabbed her effectively. She knew deep down it had been wrong but hearing him call out her behaviour, along with that disapproving look on his face, she felt her heart squeeze tightly out of guilt.

She looked down at her lap, feeling disgusted with herself. "... It is. But I chose to ignore moral compass and focus on the feeling of having men at my mercy. I felt powerful, like a goddess above them all. How they'd do whatever I'd tell them and how they'd begged me..." She looked up at the sky once again and sighed. "I know, it's disgusting to want that kind of power over somebody... But I... I was lonely. The moment I felt desired, I went with it."

Oh man... There was that guilt again. Her actions involved him, one way or another. He broke her heart and to fix it, she went out and took whatever cheap affection she could from men to feel something close to the love she craved.

Ugh, why did he always have to feel guilty about his choices?

"Do you see me differently now?" She asked, breaking him away from his thoughts.

"What?" He asked. He heard what she said, he just needed more time to process what she was asking.

"Now you know that I've played with people's emotions to get what I wanted, does it make you see me differently?" She stared back at him with fearful eyes, desperate for his acceptance.

After so many years, his judgement still governed her life. Even as a woman with full control over her choices, she still needed affirmation from him that her choices were something he approved of.

He sat up and turned his body towards her, taking her hands in his inorder to reassure her. "Ames, I already knew about it." He smiled at her after seeing her face animate into a surprised expression. "When you had all these boyfriends come in and out of your life, I did wonder why you never introduced them to me. When Rouge told me about them, I have to admit, I was a little surprised 'bout it, but honestly, I saw it as your choice. If that made you happy, then I was happy for you."

"Really?" She smiled back at him, feeling herself well up with tears.

"Yeah. I want you to be happy after all. Whatever you choose to do, I'll support ya... But, while we're playing husband and wife, do you mind toning down the flirting? Y'know, for the sake of the contract?"

She nodded at him repeatedly, wiping away a stray tear and smiling brightly. "No more flirting with other guys. Only you."

"Heh. Flirt away, goddess." He blushed through his grinning. What was with him spilling out everything in his head recently?

She leaned against his shoulder and snuggled against him. "I kinda like being called a goddess."

"You are a goddess. I'll bow down and worship you to prove it." He grinned at the flirty banter.

Amy laughed, pulling away from the blue male and staring at him admirably. "Keep worshiping me and you might make your way into paradise."

His smile grew, as did the hope in his eyes. "They say being lustful is a sin, do you let sinners into your paradise?"

"Don't worry, I'll have you converted by the end of the service."

He laughed, surrendering to that impressive defeat. "You got me this time."

"I try-" She yawned spontaneously, covering her mouth as it stretched wide.

"Aw, is somebody needing a nap." Sonic patronised her as he pulled her back into his embrace.

The girl snuggled against his shoulder once more and wrapped her arms around his waist. "We both had a pretty busy morning."

"You can say that again. I might join you in the snooze." He said, feeling himself become overpowered with fatigue. His arm laced around her back and pulled her in as close as possible like he had done every night before falling to sleep since staying in her bed. "Sleep well, Ames."

"You too, Sonic." She replied, planting a butterfly kiss on his cheek before closing her eyes and recuperating after their action packed first date. It would surely be one to remember.


	4. Trophy Wife

Chapter Four: Trophy Wife

Perfection was the only option. Shadow would have to step down because only Amy Rose could be declared the Ultimate Lifeform... In the beauty department that is. Yes, only she could be the reining queen in the land of aesthetics. Why? Because for now, she was married to Sonic The Hedgehog and because of that fact, she had some very high standards in her appearance to maintain.

And what was it she needed to do to maintain this immaculate form her husband loved to eat off of? The day started very early for her.

Unbeknownst to Sonic, the pink girl would usually break free from his grasp around five in the morning. From there, she would venture into her bathroom for the first part of her self-care routine. The simple part. Brushing her teeth and wash her face. This involved a fairly easy process; oil cleanse, foam cleanse, exfoliate, toner, essence, eye cream, serum, face mask, moisturise and finally sunscreen.

Rather straightforward.

Next, the workout. To prepare for the morning workout, she would dress herself in a sports bra and matching yoga shorts. Not forgetting the waist trainer. A very vital piece of clothing to sustain the dream hourglass shape the men drooled over. A rather uncomfortable item but all in the name of beauty.

Before her workout, the pink hedgehog would consume a glass of lemon infused water to wash out the toxins in her body. She would follow this with the first workout; stretching of course, warm up, followed by fifty jumping jacks, fifteen push-ups, thirty sit-ups, twenty squats, ten lunges and finally ninety second plank.

This came with a little break where she would have a banana to eat right before repeating the same workout for a second time.

With her workout complete, Amy's routine took her back to the bathroom. This time, she would have her morning shower. Here, she ensured no hairs were to grow over her skin covered torso. Every strand of pink was to be aligned with one another to maintain the sweetheart neckline of her bosom and slender hourglass shape that was free of hair down her front. To make sure every stand of hair was aligned, the woman would use a magnifying mirror to focus on every little strand. Not one could be longer or shorter than the other.

After this inspection, she'd moisturise her pelt whilst it was damp, dry off in her towel, use serum and then blow-dry. It was essential to not allow any hairs to be out of line, so she brushed them, being certain that every strand looked neat. To finish, she would moisturise her skin and then spray on the sweet, strawberry infused body mist onto her body, the one she found excited her husband the most, ever since their first kiss.

Then came the glow up.

The last thing she wanted was for her husband to be met with anything less than a radiant goddess beside him.

So to guarantee the hero's first sight upon waking up was a picture of beauty, she used makeup; subtle and yet defined.

The first thing to be applied was primer, then a very sparing amount of powdered foundation, easy on the bronzer, a little more generous with the mascara, a little eyeliner on the top eyelids to make her mascara stand out a little, a natural looking blush for the innocent appeal and of course accompany that with a highlighter for a natural shine.

End with shimmering lipgloss and you had a 'not so natural', au naturale glow up! She would examine her work for any blemishes before spraying on a setting spray.

The beautiful wife? Check.

By the end of her body treatment, she would move on to her outfit. Not wanting Sonic to be fully aware of the extent of her self-care routine so soon into their 'relationship', Amy had been slipping back into fresh pyjamas before he could wake up. That way, she could appear to have woken up looking as fabulous as she did.

But this was another important aspect to consider. Her clothing had to be just as aesthetically pleasing as her body. Anything in pairs had to match. _Everything_ had to be naturally harmonising with the colour of her pelt.

It wasn't just about colour, it was sex appeal too. Sonic deserved the finest and there was _nothing_ more satisfying than seeing him gawp in amazement. There was so much to think about; cute or erotic style? Frilly or laced? Push-up bra or demi?

Considering how early it was in the relationship, she chose to keep temperatures high with the erotic approach. Lace over frills and push-up over demi. Perfect.

And so she got dressed back into matching, black satin pyjama top and shorts, knowing her lover would, thankfully, not acknowledge the change in attire and made her way back into the bed. As she had estimated, the time was now 6:53am.

No doubt Sonic would be coming out of his slumber soon. As soon as she'd get into bed, the sweet smell of her body mist would arouse her husband out of his deep sleep, make him stir and subconsciously tap around the bed for her and sigh contently once he found and embraced her.

This hog loved his cuddles.

Carefully, Amy got back into bed, resting on her left side to face him. He was currently facing away from her, wild quills angling in all directions. This wasn't his position for long however. Just as she predicted, Sonic stirred. He shifted ever so slightly with a groan and shortly turned over to face her. She smiled adoringly at his serene features. This oh-so handsome man was hers. How lucky she was.

His hand leisurely moved across the covers, gently tracing the surface of the sheets for her. It wasn't long before his hand fell to rest on her hip. He smiled subconsciously, sighing with content before wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her close to him.

Gasping to his sudden actions, Amy giggled and wrapped an arm around him.

"Morning beautiful." Sonic greeted the woman, his morning tone of voice appeared to be husky and considerably deeper than usual.

She loved waking up next to him. Not just because he was the love of her life and temporary husband, but because that was when he would subconsciously spill out a dozen compliments and sweet nothings to her and wouldn't feel embarrassed or awkward about it. It was just natural, sweet love words and more natural reaction from him.

"Morning, hun." Amy responded, bringing her hand up from his waist, to his cheek.

His smile widened to her touch. Slowly, he opened his eyes to see the woman he had dreamt about smiling back at him. He blinked, pleasantly taken back by her radiant glow. Every morning was the same reaction, waking up to her majestic beauty and finding himself stunned to know anyone could wake up so immaculate.

"Do you always look this beautiful in the morning?" He asked, sounding half asleep.

His wife smiled widely to his question, bowing her head slightly out of bashfulness. "I dunno. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. You'll have to be the judge of that."

Sonic faintly chuckled, another eased sigh leaving his lips. He pulled her onto his chest and wrapped both arms around her, kissing her forehead as he happily rested his head against hers. "You're perfect." He muttered before closing his eyes and seemingly falling back to sleep.

This moment was true serene bliss. So simplistic and still just as magical. With her laying on his chest and him eagerly accepting, even seeking, her embrace as he slept, it was everything she had always wanted. All those years of wanting him, chasing him, bearing such pain over him... He was finally hers.

She had made it. Fourteen years of trying, and she finally got her man. Oh if only her younger self could see her now.

Taking some time to relish in the peaceful moment, Amy moved her head slightly to look over to the clock on her nightstand. It was now 7:38am. As much as she wanted to remain in Sonic's arms, she had to provide a substantial breakfast for him to ensure he had enough energy to go until lunch.

Gently prying herself out of Sonic's grasp as she had earlier that morning, she carefully attempted to get out of bed.

Only for her lover to grab her arm and drag her back into his grasp. "No." He said in his sleepy state.

"Sonic." Amy giggled. "I have to make breakfast now."

"No." He groaned, nuzzling his forehead against her bangs.

"Aren't you hungry?" She asked, leaning away to look at him.

He raised an eyebrow at her, a confused facade to cover his mischievous attitude beneath. "How can I be hungry? You're here. My walking snack."

She couldn't help beam sheepishly. She had not been expecting his flirtatious banter so soon after his awakening. She laughed faintly, barely a whisper. "As much as we would both enjoy that, I think you need something a little more filling for the morning." Amy told him as she once again pried herself out of Sonic's arms.

Not satisfied with the end of their cuddle session, Sonic pouted to his wife. He waited for her to turn and walk towards the bedroom door before he dashed out of bed and grabbed the pink hedgehog and carried her back to bed.

"Sonic!" Amy laughed, gasping ever so slightly as she was placed on the bed and subsequently wrapped in a loving embrace. His legs entwined in hers to prevent her escape.

"Five more minutes." He grinned to see her look back at him with a mistrustful, humoured smile. "I promise."

Her eyes expressed her gratification; dancing merrily to her glee. It was only ten days ago that she had chased this hedgehog and forced him down just to hear anything about dating or marriage. Now here they were, together as husband and wife, cuddling one another in such a simple display of affection.

And he was the one demanding her attention, rather than the other way round.

_Oh yes, younger self. All our efforts have not been in vain._

"Then will I be able to make you breakfast?" She asked with a smile across her face.

"Can't argue with that negotiation." Sonic said enthusiastically. He closed his eyes and turned on his back, resting his head against the pillows whilst bringing his wife to rest on his chest.

In love with the feel of her lover's arms securely around her, Amy couldn't see the harm in cuddling for more than five minutes.

The comforting wife? Check.

* * *

Another vital part of being the ideal wife to Sonic The Hedgehog was to cook for him. Being the busy man that he was, he rarely found himself cooking. That was where she would step in. The best way to a man's heart is through his stomach. To gain Sonic's love eternally, she'd provide the best meals that were not only delicious, but also supported his highly active lifestyle.

"Here you go, Dearest." Amy said as she placed a plate of eggs and sausages in front of him, along with a glass filled with a red substance.

Sonic looked down at the plate with a giddy smile, ready to chow down and devour. Two pieces of toast, soaked with melted butter, two eggs; sunny side up on either slice and two juicy sausages that threatened to ooze out meaty goodness once his fork dug into the skin.

"Thanks, Ames." He expressed his gratitude before grabbing his fork and tucking into his breakfast.

Placing a sweet kiss on her husband's cheek, the pink hedgehog briefly left the room to get her own breakfast. She soon returned with her meal; mixed berry parfait and a glass of water. She sat next to the blue hedgehog, exchanging a smile with him as she got comfortable in her seat.

Sonic's eyes wondered to her bowl of fruit and natural yoghurt. A sensible choice compared to his own meal.

"Did you want some of mine?" She asked after witnessing his gaze on her bowl.

His eyes met with hers. "Uh, no. I'm good. I was just wondering why you made two separate meals. Wouldn't have been easier to make the same thing for both of us?"

"It would've. But I've based our meals on our activities for the day. Obviously, you're gonna go for your run, so you're gonna need your energy. Your breakfast is mostly carbs and protein, so you should be good to go for at least two hours." She gestured her hand towards his drink. "I've also made you my own special energy drink, designed to replenish your electrolytes when you're running."

The blue hedgehog looked down towards the glass and took it in hand. An energy drink especially made for him? He was fascinated to learn the results of drinking it.

He took a small sip, then another, and another, until he chugged the liquid down. It was refreshing, fruity, with a kick to the taste buds. His tongue was first blanketed by the sweetness, pinched by the slight sourness from a citrus fruit, then warmed by a mild spice, only to be coated in another covering of sweetness.

"That's pretty good! What's in it?" He asked enthusiastically, turning his attention away from the empty glass and to it's mixologist.

"It has cherries, lime, a blend of mixed spices and a touch of pink salt. It should kick in by the time you head out."

"Gee, thanks! Now I can't wait to test it out! Who knows, if it works, I could pay you per bottle of this stuff."

"I'd never charge you for anything, Sonic. If my creations help you achieve whatever you're wanting to achieve, that's enough payment for me." She smiled sincerely towards him, her adoration for him sparkled in her eyes.

Moved by her words, the hero returned an equally sincere smile to express his gratitude. Brightened eyes stared back to her own sparkling pair and locked onto one another, reading the mutual admiration for each other from the intimate gaze.

A blink was all it took to bring the couple back to reality. Their smiles grew upon realising how long they had been staring at one another. Amy giggled softly, her husband shortly following her actions. With their eye contact ceasing, they continued to eat their breakfast together until their personal agendas for the day would separate them for a few hours.

After finishing their meals, Sonic headed towards the door. Amy followed shortly behind to say goodbye. She stood on the doorstep, her hand in his.

"Have a great day, hun." She told her husband.

Sonic smiled back at her. "Thanks. You too." He gently squeezed her hand before letting it go and turning away from her to take off down the path.

It was at this moment, she realised she nearly forgot something. "Oh, Sonic." She stopped him before he could run out of audio range.

"Hmm?" He turned back to her.

"Wait right there." She insisted before rushing back into the house. The blue blur waited with mild impatience, tapping his foot on the floor and crossing his arms as he did so.

The girl shortly returned with a small container in her hands. "Here." She handed over the box to her lover.

Puzzled, the blue hedgehog looked up at her briefly to see her smiling merrily towards the box, making him more inspired to see it's contents. He opened the lid to find little ball shaped cookies, packed with chocolate chips. In the corner of the box, there was a little note which read; 'Something sweet and full of energy for the sweetest and fastest guy around'. A heart was drawn beside her love words.

He blushed, not knowing what to say. It wasn't something he was used to. These little gestures of love with such big impact. He was surprised, pleasantly surprised.

"They're cookie dough protein bites! They should keep you going til lunch time." She spoke cheerfully, a big smile on her face showing her giddiness.

He smile gratefully, touched by the small gesture. "Heh. You love to spoil me, don't ya?" He teased, closing the container and placing it in his back quills before giving her an affectionate hug. "Thank you."

"Anything for you." Amy spoke quietly, wrapping her arms around his neck and holding him just as dearly.

Another moment was seized to drift away in the comfort of their embrace. Both heated by the feeling of their bodies colliding and from the warming feeling within. It never got tiresome, having her hero hold her like she was the most valuable treasure in the world. To feel, for once, that she was wanted, needed. Loved.

She was determined to keep this feeling. To keep her man. As the ideal wife, she would secure her lover and assure him that she had all the love he could ever need and more.

Giving his wife a caress on her back, Sonic pulled away from the hug and kissed her forehead. "See you later, Ames."

"Bye, Sonic." She muttered as he drew away from her, his hand giving her own hand a final squeeze before he dashed out of sight.

Oh how she hated to see him leave.

But it was vital. As the perfect wife, Sonic had to return home to spotless home and well kept woman. So what was next on her agenda? Clean the entire house; to the smallest speck of dust.

The Nurturing Wife? Check.

* * *

Four hours of incessant cleaning left the pink hedgehog feeling mildly drained. A compulsive frenzy of eliminating every tiny trace of crumbs, dust and hair had caused her to slump on her sofa and sigh in exasperation.

On the plus side, her home now smelt like fresh linen and rose petals so she couldn't complain too much.

She exhaled a deep breath, enjoying the little moment of relaxation before she moved onto her next task; prepare lunch, perform her afternoon workout, have lunch with Sonic once he returned, clean up again and start on dinner before she freshened up for Sonic to came home once more.

**Knock, knock, knock.**

But first, she had to collect the secretive package she had ordered the day after their first date.

With another sigh, the woman hopped off the sofa and rushed to the front door. Pleasantries out of the way, she collected her parcel and hurried back inside to open it.

She placed the box on the table and excitedly ripped it open. A delighted smile laced her lips as she looked down at the contents of the box.

It's contents which could cause the most purist puritan to faint.

While she was aware of Sonic's past encounters with minimal details, from what he had told her on their first date, he had difficulty fully grasping and enjoying the moment. Whether it was because of his partner at the time or a personal problem, she was going to solve it and provide him the most intense, perfervid experience he had ever had.

Though her fairly vanilla man would probably need convincing beforehand. Especially when he found out her methods of promoting the most intense experience involved restraining him.

Giggling deviously to herself, the girl quickly collected the box and took it upstairs to her bedroom, out of plain sight. Once she had her shower, she would unpack her new items and decorate the room accordingly.

Until then, she had work to do.

* * *

Arriving back from his long day of hero work, Sonic entered the home. The refreshing smell of Amy's cleaning filled his nostrils, making him inhale deeply out of appreciation. After a vigorous day of running and fighting, it felt good to come home and be greeted with a comforting fragrance.

Closing the door behind him, he looked around for his wife. "Ames?"

On call, his wife stepped out of the kitchen with two plates in hand. "Hey there, handsome. Perfect timing."

"Have I ever been late?" He asked with a cocky smile.

Amy simply raised an eyebrow before grinning back at him. "We won't even go there." The couple laughed, both knowing the answer to that question.

"Good point." Sonic said after their laughter had settled. Approaching his wife, he placed his hands on her hips and pecked her lips. "I was pretty eager to get back, what with you being here."

"Aw, Sonic." She gushed, giving back his affection in another peck on the lips. Smiling at one another, their gaze was quickly ended when she noticed the mud trail her husband had brought into the house. "Oh..."

Noticing her eyes on the floor behind him, Sonic looked back to see the mud. He looked down at his shoes, suddenly remembering he had threaded through a swamp at one point as a shortcut to Eggman's fortress. "Argh..." He groaned in annoyance, aimed at himself. "My bad..."

"Don't worry about that. I'll clean it up." She quickly reassured him.

"Ya sure?" He turned back to her, his face riddled with guilt. "I mean, I can do it. It's the least I can do after ruining the hard work you put into cleaning the place."

"Honestly, I got it. Just leave them by the door, and then go and wash your hands for dinner before it gets cold." She smiled at him, reassuring him to not worry about the minor mess.

He nodded back at her, carefully removing his shoes and placing them near the door like she had instructed before dashing to the bathroom to wash his hands.

Letting out an exasperated sigh, Amy looked back at the mud track and mentally vowed to clean up the mess once dinner was over.

* * *

After the long day of strenuous running and fighting, this was just what he needed. A steaming bath to unwind in, with a beautiful woman behind him, rubbing his shoulders. It had been something he had originally disagreed with. What with Amy spoiling him in every way possible, receiving a massage from her after she had gone out of her way to also make him a bath, seemed a little much.

Although, now that it was happening, he couldn't deny how good he felt.

"Has anyone ever told you, you have magic hands?" Sonic asked, enjoying the pampering he was getting from his wife.

"Depends on what I'm using them for." She teased. "If you're referring to the massage, then no."

He didn't dare ask or even contemplate the meaning behind her words. He simply shrugged it off and closed his eyes to focus on the massage. The motion of her soft hands rotating around his shoulder blades and untangling knots he wasn't aware he had, was heavenly. He could get used to this.

It was all apart of her plan. To get Sonic to loosen up to the idea, she first had to _loosen him up_. What better way to relax someone than to give them a massage? Gentle touches to coax her lover into more. "Sonic?" She mustered the courage to finally ask him permission for her planned activities.

"Hmm?" He turned his head slightly to look at her over his shoulder, his right eye opening ever so slightly to look back at her.

A hitched breath came out rather than words. The fear of rejection was weighing down her desire to please him. She told herself to power through and just ask. She had decorated the bedroom already, so he was bound to know she had something planned regardless of his answer.

Inhaling deeply, Amy forced herself to look in his direction and come out with her idea. "So, you remember a few days ago, when we were talking about you becoming dissociated from past encounters?"

Sonic hesitated to answer, already not liking the direction of the conversation. "Yeah...?"

"Well... I've kinda found a way to fit that."

He was feeling a mixture of emotions; confused, slightly awkward and intrigued. "I'm listening." He coaxed her.

His curiosity made her more confident in sharing her idea. "Usually, when someone experiences pleasure, it gives them this... high, right? Like you're drifting through the clouds and, you know, depending how powerful the feeling is, to the stars?"

Judging by the way she was talking, he wouldn't be surprised to find if she was high. "Uh... Sure, I guess."

"As good as that feeling is, being too high can make it difficult to be aware of what's happening before you. What your partner's doing to you, how they're making you feel, even to the smallest touch. So while the feeling of that high is good, you're not actually getting the full experience you could be feeling."

The steam had to be getting to her. "You're starting to lose me." He told her, turning his body slightly to face her.

She smiled back at him, mischievously. "Come to the bedroom and you'll find out what I mean." She said, in that tone of voice that made his inner beast howl.

Finishing off her massage, she ran her finger across his shoulder as she began to walk away from him and out of the bathroom.

Bedazzled by her enticement, the blue hedgehog quickly got out of the tub and dried himself off. She already had him excited by her talks of pleasure and how she interpreted the feeling. Though he was just as confused, hearing his goddess talk about anything sexual was enough to get him in the mood.

Even still, he was kinda nervous. In the last ten days, he had discovered that, despite how many times he had engaged in carnal pleasure and no matter who he had experienced them with, he was innocent to spectrum that was sex. A basic level of knowing how to seduce his partner, how to get them in the mood and to, obviously, have sex.

So whatever Amy had planned was something new. New and daunting.

And he was exhilarated to find out what it was.

Having fully dried off, Sonic wasted no more time and raced to the bedroom. Upon opening the door, he was flabbergasted to see what she had done to the place. Scented candles, from the smell of them, were vanilla, were placed around the room, a bunch of red and pink rose petals had been scattered across her bed, some rather suggestive forms of restraints attached to the bedframe and probably the most strange of all, she had arranged a circle of cushions on the floor with two in the middle, opposite one another.

The woman herself turned to face him, adorned in a short, black, silk robe and holding a jasmine scented insence stick. The smoke dancing gracefully into the air. "Hey." She greeted him casually. "Do you like my boudoir?"

He was speechless. dumbfounded and speechless. If the arranged cushions on the floor didn't tell him what he was in for, the chocolate covered strawberries on the red, heart shaped plate, sitting on her drawers, didn't tell him what he was in for, the pair of handcuffs he saw attached to the bed didn't tell him what he was in for, the lustful gaze she gave him definitely told him to prepare himself for something unforgettable.

The hero's eyes still wandered around the room. "Wha-" He muttered out, still recovering from the bewilderment.

"I hope it's not too much for you." She said as she too, looked around.

"What exactly are you planning to do?" He asked, both tantalised and apprehensive.

Placing the insence stick down safely, she beckoned him to follow her to the circling cushions. Doing as he was told, the blue hedgehog sat down and crossed his legs. Amy sat opposite him, on her knees.

"It's a common perspective to see sex as just a physical thing. Like a biological necessity that needs to be quenched. While that may be true, it is also just as mental, if not spiritual. You know, the Leyati tribe believe that sex is the gateway to enlightenment; to transcend to another plane of existence by engaging in deeply meditative intimacy."

"Right... Can't say I've ever ended up in space from it." Sonic rubbed the back of his neck out of awkwardness.

"That is because, like you said, you experience dissociation. You're not completely in the moment."

_Because most of the time, I had to imagine your face on the other person to get off..._

"We're not gonna do some kind of sex magic, are we?"

She couldn't help but laugh at his naivety. "No. I'm going to stimulate every one of your senses and weave your mind from this reality, into the spiritual realm." A devilish smirk climbed onto her lips. "So basically, I'm gonna give you the best orgasm you've ever had."

He gulped harshly. He had never been more overwhelmed with excitement and tension in his life. His heart hammering into his chest vigorously and threatened to break his ribs from the force.

"But." She added. "Obviously, you have every right to voice what you like and what you don't like. We won't do anything you're uncomfortable with."

That was a little more reassuring. "So, about the handcuffs on the bedframe..."

She giggled slightly. Somehow she knew he would have spotted those. "I know you don't like being tied down or restrained but, being restrained may help you gain a little more self control, it also promotes intimacy and trust, and, well, it's hot." She shrugged nonchalantly.

"... Do you like getting tied up?"

She gave him a seductively coy smile. "It's one of my kinks."

One of? He was married to a freak!

"But this is about you. So if you're not comfortable with being handcuffed, we won't do it."

Being tied down, at the mercy of his goddess whom had unknown tricks to make him see stars?

Did he really have much choice with that kind of proposal?

"You know what they say, don't knock it til you've tried it." He grinned.

Her face lit up upon hearing his acceptance. "I'm sure you'll be pleasantly surprised. Before we get close to even thinking about restraints, we must first focus on our breathing."

Breathing? Had he heard her correctly? He knew how to breathe... Right? Now she was just making him question everything he knew.

Closing her eyes, the pink woman placed her hands gently on her lap and got comfortable. "Breathe with me, allow yourself to really connect with your inner self." She breathed in deeply and gently, holding the breath for a few seconds before letting it out.

This was a first for him. Breathing to connect with his inner self, rather than to just simply survive. He barely thought of breathing generally, let alone for the sake of pleasure.

Though like he had said previously, he wouldn't knock it until he tried it. No matter how strange he found it.

Inhaling deeply, the blue male copied the woman before him by closing eyes and attempted to connect with his inner self, not fully understanding how and why he needed to.

"Think about how you're feeling; are you stressed? Happy? Anxious? Focus on the reasons why. Why are you feeling this way?"

_... What is this? What are we doing?_

_Following the path to get lucky._

_Are we guaranteed to get lucky? Like, 'lucky, lucky'?_

_... No._

_... I'm out._

**_But_ ** _...This does leads to kinky stuff._

_... So, how do we breathe again?_

"And breathe in." Amy instructed. He did as commanded. "Good. Now, whatever you're feeling, all those intrusive thoughts, any worries or concerns, just throw them away. Clear your mind of everything."

Continuing to breathe, the hero cleared his mind. Every little thought leaving him, one by one, until he was lifted of all burdens.

"Now I want you to mentally scan your body. Start from the top of your head and make your way down." Amy told him.

Following her instructions, he focused his attention on his head, noticing how more relaxed it was. He gradually made his way down his body, feeling some parts of his body more tense than others. How strange. He never noticed that earlier.

"Keep breathing and repeat the scan."

The more he scanned himself, the more aware he became of these tense and relaxed areas.

"Can you see the painting of your body, in your mind? Can you see those different sensations on your body?"

"Yeah, I can." He said in amazement.

"Good." She slowly opened her eyes and stared at him. "Open your eyes." Shades of green harmonised, gazing back at one another admirably. "Don't take your eyes off of mine."

The meeting of their eyes was nothing short of awkward for him. Her gaze, while loving, was also intense. Two jade jewels, reflecting the light of the flicking candles around the room. It almost seemed shameful to stare at such beauty.

His wife smiled at him and let out a faint giggle. It somewhat eased him to know she too was feeling nervous from the intensive stare. It was an uncomfortable journey to vulnerability, but knowing she was right there with him made him more inclined to pursue this path.

Amy raised her hand steadily, her eyes never leaving his. She held it out in front of her, awaiting him to place his own against it. "Bring your hand up slowly. Feel your hand move towards mine."

Sonic copied her actions, being mindful of the motion of his hand and how heavy it felt in its relaxed condition. He brought his hand towards hers slowly until their fingertips brushed. Sparks ignited in his hand and surged down his arm, rushing through his body and kindled within him. What was that?! Was this the results of all this breathing and self connecting?

They had barely begun and he was already mind blown.

She could hear his breathing fall out of sync; shaky and quivering. She smiled empathetically. It wasn't something he was used to. "Focus on your breathing." She waited for him to focus his breathing before carefully entwining their fingers into a gentle lock. Her other hand rose slowly and moved to his chest, over his heart. "We're connected on a physical level and transcending on a spiritual journey, as one." She breathed deeply, focusing on matching his breathing. "Touch my heart, Sonic."

His eyes fell on her robe covered chest. He could feel himself tensing at the thought of touching her again. The hand holding alone had him hot blooded. If he could feel so enraptured from the elementary form of contact, he couldn't think of the results from touching her moreso.

A heavy breath was released from his lips as he moved his other hand towards her body and gingerly resting on the silk fabric. The softness of the material gently brushing against his hand. His eyes moved back to look at hers. They were impishly flirtatious as they too were staring back at him, accompanied with her seductive smile. It was a signal; telling him to move the fabric aside and touch her chest. He swallowed hard. The amount of times he had touched her there and suddenly now, it was intensely overwhelming.

He mentally told himself to suck it up and do what he truly desired. Shaking his head slightly, he moved his hand over the fabric and pulled it aside, allowing his hand to touch her skin.

The couple expressed unified, quivered breaths in response to the light touch. His eyes turned to her once more, surprised to hear she was just as affected as he was. Was it true what she said? Were they both connected in this moment?

"Are you okay with everything that is happening between us?" She asked faintly, his voice was as soothing as it was seducing.

"Yeah." He muttered, too engrossed by the moment to make fluent sentences.

Amy rose up on her knees before him and looked down at the knot that bound the robe around her. "You can untie it if you want to."

Again, his breath hitched. The beating of his heart resonating so immensely now, he felt the pulsing of his blood. But he wanted to see this to the end. He was already so feverish, his end was to be explosive. With another exhale, he moved his hands down her body until he reached the tie. His eyes met with her once more as he worked his way through the knot and moved the robe off of her shoulders.

"Whoa..." He sat back and gazed at her outfit. A black lace baby doll outfit, parting down the front to reveal her toned stomach. The sheer fabric left very little to the imagination, adding to her enticement.

In his eyes, she had reached a level beyond perfection.

"I thought this would help with the visual sense."

"It's workin' alright." He moved onto his knees and placed his hands on her hips, another wave of powerful currents surging through him. His self control was ebbing. The feeling was tantalising but insatiable. The urge to just grab her and become primitive was becoming too much for him.

But he feared he would ruin the moment if he started up his rash ways after all the effort she had put into getting their breathing to synchronise and for him to become more mindful when giving or receiving caresses. He just had to keep breathing like she had told him to and bear his urges until the end. After all, this was to also help his self control. He was beginning to see just how little he had when it came to sex.

Huh... Maybe she had seen that more than he had seen it in himself.

"I want you to feel me. Not just my body. Feel the fabric I'm wearing. Run it through your fingers, feel the different textures, feel the difference temperatures on my body." She told him, looking directly into his eyes.

God she was confident. How she knew just what she wanted and knowing just how to voice it without any shame or fear. It only added to his already intolerable lust. The man did as commanded, running his hands delicately and gradually around her body. He started at her shoulders, tracing the lace fabric of the halter neck as he moved to the back of her neck and felt the satin bow clinging the outfit to her body. Soft to the touch, much like herself. Oh the urge to pull on the bow was great.

Her hands shortly began to roam and gave him the same tender touches. They started at his waist and ever so steadily moved round towards his back. An unexpected, quivering breath left his lips. Though he blushed from embarrassment, his wife responded with a soft moan, one that signalled her enjoyment, as well as her way of making him feel comfortable.

She placed her hand back to his lower back and moved their bodies together. The feeling of their chests pressed against one another sparked a tsunami of heated lust to radiate through their bodies. Unified moans and groans sounded through the room, their breathing becoming more heavy.

Both taken away by the heat of the moment, the couple hastily bridged the gap between their lips and for a moment, got lost in the impassioned fever. The surge of pleasure rippled through their bodies vigorously, creating more amorous sounds to fill the air. The familiar haze was setting in, the one Amy had told him to not travel too deeply into. He had to stay in the moment, no matter how blissful the spiritual realm happened to be.

He desperately gripped onto her hair, ruffling it in his hands as he threw all his passion into the kiss. His wife, while undoubtedly sensuous and amorous, found herself outmatched by his prowess. His carnal nature had her mind spinning, but she couldn't allow herself to allow him to get carried away.

Pulling away with a small gasp, Amy smiled coyly at her lover and took his hand in her own. "Are you ready for the next part?"

He was surprised by his own eagerness to go on. The unrelenting curiosity to know just how much he could endure and what would happen in the end left no room for doubt. "As I'll ever be." He grinned.

His wife giggled back at him as she guided him to their bed. She knelt beside him whilst he lead down on the silk sheets and watched as she placed either of his wrists into the handcuffs. "Don't worry, they're pretty loose." She assured him. "Before we carry on, we need to talk about comfort levels and safety."

Was she serious? They were right in middle of something tremendous and she was about to talk about safety? "Okay?" He said uncertainly.

Opening the top drawer of the nightstand, his eyes widened to the equipment she pulled out. "So there's obviously levels to this and I don't want to do anything you're uncomfortable with so just tell me which ones are off the table."

His gaze fell on the whip she had placed beside him. "That's a firm no."

"I thought that would be a no-go..."

"Ames... Are you into getting hurt too?"

"I mean, I guess that depends on which part of my body is receiving the pain." Her pondering expression soon changed to a big grin, followed by girlish giggles at his astonished face. "What?"

Sonic chuckled lightly. "I guess I never had you down as one of those girls."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "By 'one of those girls', you mean...?"

"A freak." Her tense stare made him question his choice of words.

The girl rested her finger on her chin and pondered his description of her. "Is it freakish to explore the depths of freedom?"

"Huh?"

"To me, sex is another form of freedom. You're exposing yourself; your deepest, darkest thoughts, your body, and your dignity, to your partner. That can cause a lot of vulnerability. But, the more vulnerability you show to your partner, the more possibilities you'll both have to explore and ultimately, the more liberated you will feel. Having the freedom to be your true self with somebody is the best form of liberty."

She truly was on another level when it came to this stuff. How she saw such a diverse insight into the act. It was deep and limitless. Empowering and still exposing. Her talk of freedom made him wonder about the possibilities they could have and how liberated they could become in one another's company.

He was ready to find out.

Though maybe not whips and pain, ready. " You're still not gonna whip me with that thing." He told her, nodding his head towards the whip.

"Maybe another time." She teased, moving the whip off of the bed. Rummaging through the drawer again, Amy pulled out a tickler and blindfold.

Sonic stared at the items in her hand, then back at his wife. "Don't want me to see what you're gonna do to me?"

"Yeah, but cancelling out your senses with enhanced the others."

He thought they were pretty enhanced already. Could they really enhance further? "In that case, you can use that. And the weird duster thingy."

With a devious smirk on her face, Amy climbed onto her husband and ran her hands sensually down his chest before leaning down towards him. "The safety word is 'peaches'." She whispered before placing a tender kiss on his lips.

He followed her guidance through the sensuously slow kiss, denying his own desire to rush the moment. The anticipation was high, the inability to touch her only making him fight his urges even moreso. Feeling his inner beast tugging on chains strenuously indicated his dwindling control.

No, he had to go on. He was better than this.

The woman moved her kisses to his cheeks, planting sweet butterfly kisses on either side. It was teasing. To be so delicate, knowing how pent up he was becoming. His teeth clenched in his attempt to relieve the tension.

She had moved back down, towards his neck. More delicate kisses were laid across the area, then she lightly licked his neck, causing him to grunt. With a smirk forming on her lips, the woman bit him gently, earning another tension filled grunt and the clanging of metal as he pulled against his restraints.

She giggled menacingly to his torture, enjoying the power she currently had over her lover. Her teasing wasn't over yet. Moving off of him, she moved her hands to the bow behind her neck and pulled on it.

His eyes widened. "No." He pulled on the handcuffs again. "C'mon. You can't take it off when I can't touch you."

She sniggered at him and allowed the outfit to fall down her body. "Oh yes I can. Since you're gonna lose your sense of sight pretty soon, I have to give you a show."

He pulled on the restraints again, desperately attempting to break free. His attempts soon ceased when he heard her pleasured sounds, he gawped at her as she teased him with her self play. He told himself to look away, that he couldn't be affected if he wasn't watching. But hearing her sounds only drew his attention back to her.

"Shit." He muttered.

"Did you want to use the safety word yet?" She asked, smirking at the tortured hero.

"Heh, you're gonna have to do more than that to get me to surrender, Amy."

Taking the blindfold in her hands, she moved towards her lover. "I was hoping you'd say that." She placed the blindfold around his head and slowly placing it over his eyes. "See you on the other side, baby."

Faced with the darkness, the hero fell under complete submission to the heroine. He pulled on the handcuffs once more as he felt her teeth bear into him and heard her fiendishly giggle.

Even Chaos couldn't save him from the enchantress now.

* * *

The beast roared a bloodlust roar, pulling his body forward and withstanding his rattling constraints. The chains shook violently to his brute strength, just barely keeping him restrained.

He fell to his knees in his inability to break free, panting heavily as the torturous pleasure scorched his nerves and rushed through him, resulting in his body to quiver every so often, trying to shake the building pressure.

This was the work of the enchantress. The sultry siren was somewhere in his plane of existence.

Refusing to give into her tricks, the beast howled aloud. A determined declaration to his adamant nature. Even if he was in restraints, he would not succumb to her magic.

Answering his battle cry, the enchantress appeared in front of him, smirking scornfully as she walked towards him. He growled back at her, pulling on the chains with more force. His efforts made the enchantress laugh. Restraints were the least of his worries.

Ignoring his growls of protest, the enchantress moved in close to the brute and kissed him, trapping him into her intoxicating spell. His previous protests came to a halt as his eyes rolled back and closed in his bliss. Distracted by her mesmerising powers, he failed to notice the plane around him. They were flipped onto a plane surrounded by clouds and a deep blue sky.

Breaking away from the enchantress, the beast looked around in amazement to this new destination. He regretfully look down, the sudden possiblity of falling through the clouds now riddled his mind. His anxiety was channelled into his anger towards the enchantress, growling at her once more.

With the click of her fingers, dozens of white feathers came down from the sky and circled the beast. Their light touches left electric waves stimulating through him, over and over in a cycle of pleasured torment. He roared again, trying to swing his brawny arms at the fluttering feathers, the clanging sound of the chains echoing through the atmosphere in his struggle.

Once again distracted, he left himself vulnerable to another attack from the enchantress. Moving close to him again, she kissed his unexpected lips, transporting them to realm painted in red.

The rich smell of strawberries brought the beast to his knees. Oh that scent was his weakness. This time, it was accompanied with the sweet smell of chocolate. Curious, he looked around. The walls were speckled with small pips indented into the glossy enclosure. Before them was a stream of chocolate, leading to a river of richness.

He turned to the siren, witnessing her place the small, chocolate covered fruit into her mouth. Edging closer to him, she kissed him, forcing him to taste the sweetness on her tongue.

His senses were overloaded with the sweet richness. The tastes of the strawberry and chocolate blending into a powerful knockout note. It forced the beast onto all fours, his intolerance failing him.

Seeing her captured beast in such a state, the enchantress transported them to an intergalactic realm. Faced with a stunning galaxy of pink, blue and purple hues, the enchantress formed a throne before them and took her seat, now facing her prisoner.

Her sinister smile made him gulp. Her position; leaned back comfortably, legs crossed, and head resting on her right hand, made him realise his battle now meant nothing. She had beaten him again.

Her free hand stretched out and gripped him in a telekinetic lock. She squeezed his body slightly, forcing a grunt out of the brute. She giggled before forcing the creature up and down. She'd send him flying passed the stars and watched as he fell back down, only to send him back up. The beast's roars and grunts only made her laugh deviously, a few pleasured emissions came from her every now again to see him struggle.

His body began to tense up from his overwhelmed nerves being unable to endure anymore of her play. The tingling sensation rived down his spine and into the centre of his body, pressuring to explode. He tried to withstand it, panting heavily and emitting grunts and groans in his strain, but with every sight, touch, taste, smell, and sound he had experienced resounding in his mind, he couldn't bear anymore.

With a mighty roar, he bellowed his surrender. The enchantress sent him flying high into the galaxy, the blending colours passing him as he reached new, undiscovered heights. The intense colours magnified around him, leaving him in a state of euphoria.

And with the high, came the fall. Slowly, the beast drifted back down towards the enchantress. The electric waves that still sparked within him began to gradually subside. In his defeat, he slumped before her, panting heavily.

Pleased with her work, the enchantress stroked the creature's head, soothing him through the end.

* * *

His body shook violently as he continued to pull on the restraints. Panting heavily, the hero steadily allowed his relaxing body to slump onto the bed, his recovery was just as gradual as the build up had been.

"That's it, sweetie. Come down now." She soothed him by stroking his quills. She removed his blindfold, seeing the extent of his intense experience in his eyes. "I hope you enjoyed that." She smirked at him.

A lazy grinned slowly formed on his lips. "Yeah." He said slowly, too relaxed to say anything else.

Amy laughed at his sleepy condition. Judging by his profound cursing and pleasure grunts, she was sure she had satisfied him.

Releasing the man from the cuffs, she was surprised to see the red marks formed across his wrists. Poor thing, he had gotten so worked up, he had hurt himself. She made a mental note to purchase soft bounds in future.

With her husband passed out before her, Amy placed a sweet kiss on his forehead and began to restore the room to it's original condition. That would just leave Sonic shoes to clean and her night skincare routine before she could go to bed and repeat the process again in the morning.

The Loving Wife? Check.


	5. It's A Date

Chapter Five: It's A Date

Click, clack. Click, clack.

A swig of sweet, blood red wine levitated a small fraction of her annoyance. Sat at her elegantly contemporary, high gloss dining table with her one leg over the other, she waited impatiently, tapping her heel irritably slow against the wooden floor.

Click, clack, click.

Again, another sip of wine. A droplet of red fell onto her already raspberry painted lips, soaking into her lipstick and adding to it's glossiness. She had gone to great lengths for the evening; wearing an eye-catching wrap dress with a deep plunge neckline and thin spaghetti straps. Body hugging and comfortably tight that was sure to capture her husband's attention, if not the majority of the customers attending the restaurant they were supposed to be dining in.

Though that plan was now two and half hours over schedule. The love of her life, oh bless his heart, had managed to lose track of time and was now running extremely late. When she had noticed he was fifteen minutes late, she simply shrugged it off and told herself it was typical Sonic behaviour.

Then thirty minutes passed... No biggie, he was just probably caught up with fighting Doctor Eggman or another foe that was brave or dumb enough to take him on.

Then an hour passed...He had probably gotten captured and was trying to get away.

And another hour...He had best wished the enemy could have gotten to him before she could. It was his turn to plan a first date and he was a no show!

Quite frankly, it was the icing on the cake when it came to Sonic's innocently infuriating imperfections. For the past couple of days, it seemed as if he had set himself a challenge to test her patience, doing little things here and there to mildly bother her; placing empty cartons back where he had found them, leaving other things where he hadn't found them, leaving the toilet seat up and making a trail of mess to identify everything he had done for the day. Made a sandwich? Mess. Had a shower? Mess. Ran faster than sound within the house and created a tornado that destroyed her living room?

Need she go on?

Though at the time, she had simply brushed these things off. They were minor and the love she had for that man overshadowed his wrong doings. It was only now, when she was enraged by his tardiness, that she was thinking about all the things he had done to piss her off.

Because of all the times he could be late, he chose to be late on date night.

But that was nothing new, was it?

Over the years, Sonic had become notorious for ditching her when it came to dates. It was always; 'I lost track of time' or 'I totally forgot' and, of course, followed by; 'I'll make it up to you.'

Yeah, nothing much had changed in the date department. The one time he is responsible to show how much he cares for her and make her feel appreciated, he was suddenly busy.

Convenient, right? He wasn't busy when she was showing him a good time.

Ugh, she could really slap that hog right now.

Hearing the door opening and shut, Amy sighed, deciding she was far too irritated to go to him. He knew he had done wrong so he would come and find her.

As she predicted, her husband poked his head into the dining room and found her sat at the table, looking away from him with a half empty glass in her hand. Just by the way she precariously swivelled the glass in her hand indicated how angry she was.

"Ames?" Sonic cautiously stepped into the room, his approach just as cautious. She still refused to acknowledge him. The silent treatment. That deadly treatment that could never give him a guaranteed outcome. Was she going to rage at him once he said something? Or would this silence continue on for days, or weeks on end until she believed he had served his sentence.

It was the worse kind of punishment. "Amy. I'm really sorry for missing the date." He spoke with grave sincerity. "I got caught up in a fight with Egghead and he was attacking Station Square, near the orphanage and the kids were in close range to the battle so I ended up saving them, and then the staff wanted to thank me for saving them so I had to stay whilst they had a little celebration and then I read to them and I only just managed to get away when they fell asleep."

Her glass made a gentle click against the table as she placed it down. That was his story? Held hostage by children? Until 10:30pm? Didn't they have suitable bedtimes?

She was too annoyed, hungry and slightly tipsy to be running a full analysis on his story. Standing up from her seat, the pink woman turned to her lover and placed her hands on her hips. His eyes darted to her outfit as he gawped in awe. "I want you to look at the opportunity you missed, Sonic. All this woman that you left waiting for you."

He groaned, hating himself for having her get ready and waiting for him, for nothing. Seeing the extravagant ensemble before him that had been constructed for a lost purpose. Damn those kids and their adorable ways.

Approaching his wife, the hero wrapped his arms around her and held her lovingly. "I'll make it up to you. I promise."

Predictable. So predictable, she already knew how he planned on making it up to her. "Really? And how do you intend to do that?" She dared to ask.

He grinned back at her, his face alone giving her his answer. "How about a little sundae special?"

Yep, predictable. She was beginning to see Sonic's go-to answer for when he knew he had done something to upset or bother her. Sex. The biggest of problems were miraculously fixed if you had enough pleasure. As much as she did enjoy his very attentive love, she was hoping to feel special, wine and dined and shown off like his one and only.

Substituting their date for an 'early night' made her feel like his personal play thing.

Smiling hopelessly, she turned down the offer. "Maybe another night?" She suggested, removing herself out of his grasp.

His wife took off her red heels and walked away solemnly in disappointment. The guilt knocked on his heart. Knowing he had been the one to bring her to such a level of sorrow.

Damn that Egghead for ruining their evening.

Determined to not go to bed on bad terms, Sonic rushed in front of his wife and stopped her from heading upstairs. "Look, I promise I will make it up to ya, just hear me out." She stared back at him, awaiting to hear his proposal. "Right now, I'll order in from Meh Burger and we can watch whatever movie you wanna watch together, on the couch, okay? And tomorrow, I'll take you out on a date."

She continued to stare at him, maintain a fierce poker face. Her eyes holding the strength to scold him on the spot. Sure she was mad at him, but even she couldn't deny the sincerity of the blue hedgehog. He was being the man she adored; the hero to the people, saving their lives and reinstating their beliefs in justice. This was what he did. What they all did. As his wife, it was vital that she took his occupation into consideration. He would be in and out of her life no matter how inconvenient that was.

Letting out a short breath, Amy smiled at him and nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

Relieved to hear she had agreed, Sonic smiled back at her. A kiss of gratitude was placed on her forehead. "So, do you want your usual?"

"You know it." Her smile grew to know he had remembered her typical order.

"Right. I'll be right back." He said before dashing out of sight and out of the house.

Turning to the fading flash of blue, Amy let out a sigh and made her way upstairs to get dressed into her pyjamas. Maybe they wouldn't be wining and dining the way she had thought, but any meal with her lover was a treasured moment.

And every moment with him was just as valuable.

* * *

Yawning was an uncontrollable force against her that morning. Her body's way of punishing her for not going to sleep at a suitable time.

After eating their meals on the sofa and watching a rather too romantic movie, their night had ended up a lot longer than they had originally intended. And while happily satisfied with how it turned out, finally getting to sleep by one in the morning, only to then wake up at five to once again provide the perfected version of herself for her husband, she was exhausted. Extra concealer was needed that morning to ensure any bags under her eyes could be well hidden.

Besides, she had a busy day with Sonic coming up, she couldn't show her fatigue today.

"Alright, babe. I have the best idea for a date. You're gonna love it!" Sonic grinned, practically skittish in his excitement.

Turning away from her cup of herbal tea in hand towards her lover, she couldn't help but laugh at his child like enthusiasm. The way he was tapping his hands against the back of the dining chair beside her in an energetic rhythm and beaming a smiling down at her. It was adorable. Even more adorable to know he was this excited by a date.

"And what will we be doing on this date?" She asked.

Now she wasn't being picky, but if this date was his chance to show how thoughtful he could be, a spa day, a date at the movies, Twinkle Park or even the restaurant they were supposed to attend last night would totally fit her expectations.

Sonic shook his head. "I'm not gonna tell ya. You'll find out when we get there."

Her mind race with suggestions. Had he planned something romantic? Something truly special to express her importance in his life?

Just as enthusiastic as he was, Amy smiled brightly back at him. "Can I at least know what kind of clothing to wear?"

"I dunno. Something comfortable?" He shrugged.

That could mean absolutely anything. "I mean, are we gonna be doing anything strenuous?"

He pondered for a moment. "I don't think so." He shrugged again. "Just wear whatever. You'll look good no matter what you wear."

Awfully sweet of him but there was a chance he wasn't fully grasping why she needed to know. Sports required more fitted clothing, less skirts and dresses and more yoga pants and maybe one of her jumpsuits her husband found appealing.

She would just have to find a middle ground.

"Alright. I'm gonna get ready." She told him, getting up from her seat and giving her husband a kiss on the cheek.

"I'm gonna go for a quick run and I'll be back in twenty. No getting caught up in any battles, no being held hostage by kids, promise."

"Thank you, hun." She said, pecking his lips briefly before walking passed him to go and get ready.

"Hey." He turned his body to grab her arm. She looked back at him curiously, giving him the opportunity to kiss her again, a more tender, prolonged kiss. He broke away from her, going back for a final peck before letting go of her arm. "Be right back."

The blue hedgehog left in a flash, leaving Amy in blissful daydream. His passion had come a long way from when he first kissed her. His previously raw kiss had become extremely assiduous. Given his wild instincts were already alluring, his sensual addition made him all the more irresistible.

She shook her head out of the daydream. There was little time to lose! Sonic would be back for her in twenty minutes and she needed to find the ideal outfit for something casual and yet be suitable for doing anything strenuous.

In a haste, Amy ran up the stairs and towards her bedroom, her ecstatic attitude providing a pep in each step as she could only imagine what Sonic had planned for them.

* * *

This wasn't what she imagined in the slightest. Standing outside the large scale building, decorated in neon lights. There wasn't going to be a spa day awaiting inside, no fancy restaurants or a romantic movie. They were at an arcade. He had brought her to an arcade.

And he was pretty excited about it. "I ran passed this place last night while fighting Egg Brain. Doesn't it look cool?!" He turned to her with a broad smile on his face. She could just picture his inner child coming to life.

He wasn't wrong. It did look pretty cool. And while it was quite a fun idea for a date, this date suited him more than it did her. She felt bad for feeling minor disappointment, knowing he had probably thought this kind of date would suit their adventurous sides, which it did... She simply wished he had looked deeper into who she was to come up with their date.

Seeing his smile slowly begin to fade from her delayed response, Amy quickly reassured him. "Oh, yeah. It looks amazing! This should be fun."

His smile was brought back. "Phew! For a minute there, I thought I got this all wrong."

"No, not at all. I always like to find a way to kick your ass." She grinned. If she couldn't have her relaxing, romance-filled day, she would enjoy winning against him in whatever game they would play.

"Oh-ho, fighting talk." He placed his hands on his hips and grinned ecstatically. "You actually think you can beat me?"

"I don't think that... I already know I will." She gave him a smug look and copied his gesture by moving her hands to her hips.

"That's adorable." He chuckled, looking up at the building's lights and then back onto his wife. "They have a pretty good laser tag course. D'ya wanna go one on one?"

Ah, laser tag. The rather active multiplayer game that would require clothing designed for agile activities, like her jumpsuits, rather than the white tank top and high waisted, blue shorts she had chosen. Typical of Sonic to downplay how active their date would be. Then again, now that she thought about it, this was probably nothing to him. While she would be giving it her all, he would probably be giving a small fraction of his energy.

Still, she wouldn't let her choice of clothing or his energetic self deter from winning. She'd give it her all and show him who he was dealing with.

"You're on. Hope you're ready to lose, hedgehog." She playfully taunted him, taking his hand and leading him into the arcade.

He was on cloud nine, overdosing on dopamine. Her positive and competitive energy matching his own triggered sparks between them. A wild flare of vibrancy that they absorbed from one another at the touch of their hands.

Such vitality was unmatchable.

Heading to the front desk, the couple giggled with enthusiasm. "Hello, welcome to GameOn. What's your choice of gaming?" The employee asked.

"Hey, we're here to try out for laser tag." Sonic answered, his eagerness spilling into his tone of voice.

"We have two kinds of courses for laser tag. There's the regular course, ideal for beginners. Or we have the extreme course, for the more advanced players."

"What's the extreme course like?" Sonic asked. Amy shook her head at him, of course he would be interested in the tougher course.

The ticket clerk pulled out a small leaflet and placed it on the desk in front of the couple. "The extreme course allows the player to have more freedom on the circuit. You can parkour, roll, and jump. Though you mustn't crawl or touch your opponents."

"Sounds good to me." Sonic turned to the pink hedgehog and gave her a smug look. "What do you think, Ames? Wanna take me on in an extreme course?"

Amy returned his expression. "I was going to ask you the same thing."

He chuckled softly. "I guess that answers it then. We'll have two wristbands for the extreme course." Sonic told the man.

"Would you like to become apart of the GameOn membership?" The man asked, pulling out a pair of membership cards. "With these, you'll have a bunch of VIP discounts throughout the arcade, a free game of laser tag on your birthdays, track progress on your scores and special abilities. It's a one-off payment, so you'll have all these benefits forever!"

Sonic beamed at his wife, exhilarated on the spot. He was already sold on the idea. If it made him this happy, who was she to say no? "We'll take the memberships too."

"Excellent. So that's two adults for extreme laser tag, and two memberships... That'll be fifty four rings, please?"

"What a steal! We gotta get the guys into this too!" Sonic suggested.

Amy giggled at his ebullient nature. His inner child now taking over his whole persona. She loved to see him like this. Not just happy, but genuinely gleeful and wholesome. The side to him that was left unknown to the public and only made it's appearance around his closest friends. In those times, he would shut out the responsibilities of being the hero and allow himself to have the childhood that never was.

"Ready to go in?" Sonic asked, trying to get her to awaken from her daydream by waving his hand in front of her eyes.

She shortly came round, Shaking her head rapidly. "Oh, yeah, absolutely." She nodded back at him.

After paying for their cards and wristbands, the couple entered the laser tag section of the arcade and adorned themselves in black, lightweight vests with neon patches attached to either side of their shoulders, their abdomens and on their backs; Sonic in red and Amy in blue.

There were two choices of guns; the carbine assault rifle replica, or the submachine gun. Both weapons had glowing neon lights that reflected their team's colour.

Amy picked up a carbine assault rifle. "This looks awfully familiar..." She smirked as she looked back to her husband.

Sonic faked his sorrow. "Choosing the gun that nearly killed me on our first date? I'm not sure if you're tryin' to be nostalgic or just downright cruel."

"You know, I'm still struggling to figure out what was more traumatising for you; being _very_ close to death, or you becoming jealous after I saved you from the soldier."

He was just about to protest, but decided it would be a long debate to rise from the grave. "I'm not even gonna start that again... But I wasn't jealous."

"Keep telling yourself that, blue boy." She winked at him.

Rolling his eyes playfully in response, Sonic turned away from his wife and soon chose his weapon. "Since I don't have to compensate for anything, I'll take the smaller one." He said, taking the submachine gun replica off the wall.

"No argument there." Amy spoke flirtatiously, moving in close to her lover as he turned and grinned at her agreement to his comment. Their chemistry was heating again, eye contact signalling mutual kindling of lust. She placed her hand on his chest, gently caressing the area as she got closer and closer. Faces just inches apart, the sensation of their heated breaths running pass one another's cheeks caused racing hearts and the rise in temperature.

"Careful. It's loaded." Sonic teased, moving the model weapon over his shoulder.

"You wouldn't want to put a bullet in me, would you?" Amy continued the titillating banter.

"That would be quite a bang."

"If I cock the gun, will you pull the trigger?"

"Alright, you two. Ready to play?" An employee called out to them. The couple turned their attention to the young chimp standing outside the entrance to the extreme laser tag.

"I could play another game right now." Sonic murmured, slowly turning his attention back to the pink hedgehog.

"Definitely, but later. First, I'm gonna kick your ass." She stuck her tongue at him before walking off.

"Ha! Yeah right. More like your ass is mine." Sonic scoffed, following her towards the dark room.

"Well, if you want it that way."

He paused. "Wait, what?"

Noticing he had stopped, Amy half-turned back to him as she giggled at his bewildered expression. "What? Was I not clear on that? When I said no penetrative sex, I meant the front, not the back."

"Now you tell me?!"

"I didn't think it was your thing."

She had a point. It wasn't something he had really thought about. Though given her open-mindedness having such an effect on him and his desire to explore more of her were limited, exploiting holes in the contract and in her was something he was more than willing to do.

She fully turned to him, raising her eyebrow at him with a suggestive smirk across her face. "So, Sonic. What do you say we turn this into a bet?"

His bewilderment slowly faded into a smirk, much like her own. "What's your price?"

"If I win, you have to do the washing up for the remainder of the trial. If you win..." She walked towards him, her smirk growing as a blush crept onto her face. "I'll let you take back shots."

Chaos help him. His heart couldn't take the palpitations. The evidence of his flustered demeanour appearing through his scarlet blush and dilated pupils. His breath; short and breathless. God, why did she always have him so worked up, even over something as little as a suggestion?

Attempting to recover from his blundering falter, Sonic gave her a thumps up and a wink. "It's a deal."

Giggling flirtatiously, his wife returned the wink and continued to walk down the hall, purposefully swaying her hips as she walked. This only made him more determined to win. Like a pirate, threading on the high seas, he was gonna get the booty.

Dashing to the end of the hall, to the laser tag room, Sonic stopped next to Amy and watched as the doors were opened for them. The neon lights glowed throughout the sizeable, dark room, adorned on the walls and half walls scattered throughout the room. The multicoloured lights were aesthetically pleasing, possibly intentionally distracting.

Sonic whistled in appreciation. "Looking good."

"Alright, you two, split up. And remember, no crawling and do not touch your opponent. This is a contact free sport."

"That's a shame." Any turned from the employee, to the blue male. "He likes it when I touch him."

The men blushed, staring at the woman with mouths agape. Awkwardly chuckling, the young chimp stepped aside and gestured for the couple to go through into the neon covered room.

Sonic glared at the pink woman. "Oh, you are so gonna regret that!"

Amy laughed before running into the room. Grinning to himself, Sonic followed, being sure to be on the lookout for the girl. He scoped the area, aiming his laser gun as he scanned for his lover. He turned the corner, hiding behind the half wall and looking round at either side to ensure Amy was not close by.

A streak of pink caught his eye, looking over his right shoulder, he could see her rolling across the ground and aiming right for him. Smirking, Sonic ran to his left, down the narrow path, just missing her lasers. He flipped over the half wall and fired aimlessly in her direction. His wife dodged the attack, leaping onto the half wall and running along the thin edge. She aimed for the speedy hedgehog, targeting him as he ran out of sight.

Amy huffed. He was certainly keen to win. His speed was used excessively in a bid to wipe out the competition. And not only was he naturally competitive, but with the chance to have his way with her, he held the motivation to destroy any high score within laser tag.

And even though she was curious to know how his win would feel for herself, there was no way she would let him win without a fight.

Running to the edge of the half wall, Amy leapt onto the arrow marked wall and ran along the side of it, looking across at the obstacle below for her blue opponent. She was unable to locate the hero at first sight. A glimmer of red caught her eye, alerting her of Sonic's location. He was hidden behind a half wall with a cutout hole in the centre, aiming his laser gun directly at her.

She gasped, jumping off the wall and on top of the half walls, leaping onto the ground and rolling into cover behind one of the neon panels. His lasers just missed her.

Gulping harshly, Amy poked her head round the corner. Safe. Though Sonic had moved and she had no idea where he was. Bringing her gun up to aim, the pink woman moved out from her position looked around for her lover.

A harsh wind swept behind her, making her spin around rapidly and fire instinctively. Sonic had just passed her, she knew it. So that was his tactic? The sweep in technique? Cute.

Jumping up into the air, she spotted the hedgehog on the opposite side of the half wall. They aimed for one another before firing a set of lasers. The red and blue beams of light filled the air between them, just managing to avoid the pair.

For a moment.

Red hit blue and blue hit red. The blue hitting his sensor on his abdomen while the red hit her shoulder pad. Their sensors flashed white and sounded the successful attacks.

"You have been hit." The speaker sounded from within their vests.

Landing with a harsh roll, Amy chased the blue hedgehog through the obstacle course. He laughed, running backwards and firing his lasers towards her. She did the same, lacking coordination in her firing as she ran after him.

"Eggman's robots have better aim than you." Sonic taunted the pink hedgehog.

"Eggman himself has better aim than you." She fired back.

Sonic gasped dramatically. "Did you just go there?"

"Oh yes, I went there."

Grinning menacingly to his wife, Sonic jumped into the air and performed a spin dash. Within his spin attack, the hero fired his laser gun, red lasers shooting in all directions.

Panicked, Amy ran towards the back of the room, taking cover behind one of the panels. The red lasers flying over her head and to her right. With his multi-shot move, she had very little ability to run. She was stuck. Great...

A laser darted just above her, just missing her shoe. Puzzled, she looked up to find she was covering below a half wall with a lookout point. Yes. Even if she couldn't possibly hit Sonic from that position, she had more chance than simply hiding.

Any stood up and placed her rifle into the slot. Aiming at the blue hedgehog, she fired at him, witnessing an array of red and blue laser once again flying back and forth. Her husband spotted her from behind her lasers and broke his spin dash, directing his attack in her direction before gravity brought him back to the ground. A red laser shot through the hole in the wall and shot her left shoulder pad.

"Damn it!" Amy exclaimed. Looking to the white light flashing on her shoulder.

"You have been hit." The speaker from her vest called out.

"Yeah. I'm aware." She muttered to herself. Two hits. One more and Sonic would be declared the champion. No, she couldn't let him get bragging rights.

Motivated to not let her hero win, the pink female took off towards the wall and propelled herself off of it, flying through the air with her gun aimed down on the obstacle. She found her lover scoping out the area around him. His eyes met with his as she fired her attack. Alarmed, the hedgehog ran for cover, leaping out of the range as he reached the corner.

The sweet words sounded through the room. "You have been hit."

"Yes!" Amy cheered. Her laser had got him in the back before he could get away. Landing on the wall on the opposite side, Amy ran along the side, eager to take down her husband and be declared the champion.

Before she could think of her next action, Sonic came spin dashing towards her. He broke his attack in mid air and took aim for her. Without hesitation, the woman followed his actions, propelling herself off the wall and taking aim on him.

Time slowed down around them in the critical moment. Fingers harshly slamming down onto the trigger in a unified precision. Shots were fired, in direct target for their abdomens. The speed of the lasers had beaten the time they had to get away. The target was met on either side.

"You have been hit. Game over." The speakers sounded, all sensors on their vests flashed white before all colour faded. They had tied.

Landing on his feet, Sonic dropped his gun to catch his wife. She fell into his arms and happily nestled onto his shoulder. "Do we count that as an equal win?"

Sonic grinned at her. "You bet. You put up a pretty good fight."

"I can't let you think you can have your way with me without a challenge." She smirked.

His grin widened. She certainly liked to keep him on his toes. Just how he liked it.

Placing the girl back onto her feet, Sonic picked up his gun and took her hand in his as they made their way out. The thought of his victory prize playing throughout his head.

* * *

With their laser tag session ending with two winners, the couple celebrated their victory with a chilli dog for Sonic and fries for Amy. The pair walked down Station Square, enjoying their lunch as they walked and talked.

"Can you believe the discount we got on these? That membership has made me a loyal customer at GameOn." Sonic said, taking another bit of his chilli dog.

Amy smiled down at her food in hand. She was still grateful for Sonic buying her lunch, but comparing to whatever meal she would have ordered the night before? She felt robbed. Robbed of the dream date she had always wanted with Sonic.

Was it wrong to feel this way? After having a rather fun date at the GameOn?

"Somethin' on your mind?" Sonic asked, noticing Amy had been lost in thought.

She turned to him before quickly shaking her head and looking back down at her fries. "Uh, no. Sorry. I was just... Thinking about how fun the date was. Thank you." She smiled back at him.

Sonic returned the smile. "I'm glad you liked it. I mean, I know you like a good competition now and then."

"That's true." She agreed, her eyes diverting to a restaurant across the street. She focused on a couple on a date, holding hands and laughing with one another. Envy tore through her. They were enjoying the dream date she craved, indirectly rubbing their happiness in her face.

Sonic eyes followed her gaze, also watching the couple dining in the restaurant. The realisation clicked in his mind, suddenly remembering her appearance from the previous night and the look on her face she held, knowing he had missed their date and her efforts had been for nothing.

Ah... She was hoping to have the same date today, wasn't she?

The man groaned at his stupidity. No wonder she had looked momentarily disgruntled when they stood outside the arcade. "Hey Amy..." She looked back at him, hiding any negative emotion away from him with a bright smile. "I'm sorry I didn't give you the date you wanted."

She looked somewhat surprised, not realising she had made her disappointment so visible. "What? No, I had the best time on our date."

"That doesn't mean it was what you wanted." He pointed out. "I'll make it up to you. The next date will top all dates."

She smiled fondly back at him. His ability to see through her facade and fully understanding her without judgement warmed her heart. She was truly lucky to have such a man as her husband.

"Thank you, Sonic." She said sincerely.

Her husband smiled back at her, giving her free hand a gentle squeeze before heading down the path. They shortly stopped outside a confectionery store, a sweet filled shop, decorated in pink and white stripes. A child's paradise.

"Want something?" He asked, making his way into the store.

Amy tilted her head in her confusion. As she followed him into the store, she was more confused and slightly concerned to watch him create dozens of sweet bags and pile them into a basket. What was he going to do with all those bags?

"Didn't ya want anything?" He asked, holding the basket of bagged sweets in his right hand.

"Don't we have enough sweets?" She asked.

Sonic looked down at the basket and chuckled. "Oh, these aren't for us." Her questioning express demanded an explanation. "I thought I'd get these for the kids at the orphanage. Y'know, give them something to get excited about."

Her husband was a walking gift from the Gods'. A hero to all, even those in little need of saving. Another reason why she loved him so much. He wasn't doing a good deed to seek recognition or claim any reward, he was choosing to perform a good deed just to see their little faces light up, to provide a bit of fortune into their lives.

Such a noble, selfless man he was.

"How about I just get you this?" He said, pulling out a pink and white spiralling lollipop. "I know how much you like to suck on things."

She glared at him while smirking. "You're right. With a lollipop, I wouldn't have to satisfy that urge with you."

He stared at her with minimal expression on his face. Without taking his sights off of her, he placed the lollipop back on the shelf. "How about chocolates instead?"

Amy rolled her eyes at the blue hedgehog and followed him towards the chocolates, giggling to herself as the suggestive ideas for the upcoming evening coming to mind.

* * *

Walking along the path with two big bags of sweets, the couple soon came to a halt outside the orphanage. A charming, three stories tall building with a large, gated garden that surrounded the landscape.

The children had been playing outside when they spotted the blue hero and his wife. Ecstatic to see him, they rushed over to the fence, frolicking around in their merriment.

"Mr Sonic!" The kids cheered, reaching their hands out to him.

Smiling cheerfully to the children, Sonic approached the fence. "Hey team. How's the trainin' going?"

They proceeded to talk over one another, very close to shouting. Looking to his wife, Sonic chuckled helplessly.

"May we help yo- Oh, Sonic The Hedgehog. How lovely of you to visit us again." One of the carers came to investigate the crowd of children by the fence. She smiled upon seeing the male and his company.

Sonic gave a small wave to the woman. "We brought sweets for the kids. Hope you don't mind."

"I'm sure a one-off treat will do no harm. What do you say, children?"

"Thank you, Mr and Mrs Sonic."

Sonic and Amy laughed nervously at the given title. There hadn't been a time where anyone outside their circle of friends had acknowledged them as a couple. It was awkward to say the least. With neither of them daring to go any further on the topic, they avoided eye contact.

Hopping over the fence, the couple happily interacted with the children; handing over the bags of sweets, giving them hugs and high fives on request, and showing them their weapons and agility.

The children gasped in awe of both Sonic's speed and Amy's hammer. "Wow! That's so cool!"

"I wanna be a hero!"

"Yeah! Teach us to be heroes."

"We wanna run super fast!"

"Please!" They chimed in sync.

Sonic gently hushed the children. "You don't need to run at superspeed to be heroes."

"But heroes do need superpowers to take down Eggbutt!" A little boy said adamantly, punching the air in front of him, causing the children to laugh.

Amy smiled at the children, placing her hands on her hips. "Is that so?" She questioned, placing her hammer on the ground. "Now I don't have a weapon, what do I have?"

The children stared at the pink hedgehog, not knowing what to say. From what they had seen from her abilities, she was a weapon wielder. Any superpowers were left unknown.

She bent down on her knees before the children and placed her hand over her heart. "What I have, is hope." She smiled. "You don't need to run at the speed of sound, or fly, or even use chaos emeralds. What you really need to be a hero is to believe in yourself. Believe in your team mates. Always believe that no matter what, you can do anything you put your heart into."

Sonic smiled admirably down at her, silently approving of her words. Yes, with hope, anyone could shape their own future, and provide a better day for themselves and anyone else.

He wanted that for these kids. To have the hope for better days. To see a brighter future for all of them.

"Can we still try and run fast?" Asked the young boy in front of Amy.

Sonic chuckled and gave him a thumbs up. "Why not? You can't get far without trying. Everyone line up!" He told the children, standing at the end of the line once the children got into position.

"Wait!" The youngest girl cried. "I have little legs. I can't run as fast."

Sonic picked the girl up. "How about you run along with me and cheer the other kids on? Sound good to you?"

"Yes!" She cheered, waving her little hands in the air.

Readying himself for a race, the hero counted down from five before taking off. He was careful to watch his speed for the sake of the children. Watching them cheering joyfully as they ran gave him a sense of pride. Maybe he couldn't change their circumstances, but for a moment in their lives, things looked better than worse.

* * *

Upon leaving the children to their playtime, Sonic and Amy took a detour to their favourite hang out spot in the flower blooming meadow, outside of town. They sunbathed under the summer sun in tranquil silence.

The actions of the blue male left Amy positively flabbergasted. Seeing the way he played and interacted with the children was awe inspiring and endearing. He would make an amazing father. An attentive, understanding, nurturing father with a child's vibrancy.

"What you did for those children was truly selfless. You've probably made their day. Maybe even their year." She smiled at him.

Sonic smiled back at her, turning his head to face her. "It's no big deal."

"Maybe it's not a big deal." She shrugged. "But you provided those children a great deal of happiness and ingrained hope into their hearts."

"I think that was your doing. Thanks for being there by the way. Your little speech may have just created another generation of heroes." He sat up, a solemn smile laced across his face. "I'm wondering if that's what I need to do."

She sat up beside him, seeing his thoughtful expression. "What? Gather more heroes?"

He scratched his head sheepishly, not knowing how his proposal would sound. "When I sat with them last night, I guess I could sympathise with 'em, y'know? A kid without a home. If it weren't for my speed, I don't know if I would've believed in myself to fight for those without the power to fight for themselves. I'm starting to think that maybe I should be teaching those kids to have that same kinda hope? I dunno, maybe teach them to be heroes?"

"Like... A hero academy?"

"Yeah, exactly. Even if they don't wanna be heroes, they could have somewhere they feel they belong." He looked up towards the sky.

Amy leaned on his shoulder, startling him in the process. "I think that's an amazing idea."

"Really?" His eyes wondered back to her.

"Of course! You'll be shaping the future of millions, seeing them grow into the people they could only dream of becoming... Like me." She moved away from him and smiled at him. "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be who I am today. I don't mean to brag but I think I turned out alright, what do you think?"

Sonic chuckled. "I think you turned out pretty fine."

"Then it's decided. We'll open the Sonic Heroes Academy; a home to the future."

Again, he chuckled sheepishly. "I don't think it's that simple."

"A great hero once said 'you can't get far without trying'." Realising she had used his own words against him, the hero laughed. "I'll always be by your side to support you, Sonic. No matter what happens, you'll have me."

Turning to his wife, he stared in awe and admiration. He expected nothing less from her. Fourteen years of friendship and she had never failed him. No matter how this marriage trial ended, he was certain she would still be there with him, taking on the world, right by his side, platonic or not.

Rising to her feet, the pink hedgehog brought him back to reality with her movement. He looked up at her, puzzled to see her reach out her hand to him.

"Do you wanna have an early night?" She smirked at him.

Grinning suggestively, Sonic grabbed her hand and jumped to his feet. "You feelin' tired?"

"No... Not yet anyway." She giggled, gripping his hand tightly as she began to run with him through the meadow.

Watching the girl before him laughing merrily as they ran, he felt his heart skip a beat to the beautiful scene. Her steps as gentle as a fairy on the green, appearing as though she was prancing over the flowers.

It was phenomenal.

She was phenomenal.

He was ready to express his wonderment. With a big grin on his lips, Sonic sped up and took the woman in his arms and raced back home, eager to claim his prize.


	6. Gotta Get With My Friends

Chapter Six: Gotta Get With My Friends

The blazing heat rained down its beating rays onto the dry land below. The hottest day of the year called for a heroes get-together and BBQ.

And Sonic intended to go all out with the pizzazz. Being in charge of the pool and grill, the hedgehog made sure his friends would be contently rolling their way home by buying a batch of the juiciest, richest meats for his cheeseburgers and chilli dogs. And of course, only the best vegetables to make a vegetarian lasagna.

And what of the pool? Big enough to fit all of their friends and maybe even more. A circular, power steel pool that engulfed the majority of the large garden. With the arduous task of building the pool in the scorching heat now complete, Sonic proceeded to fill it with water. The glistening water reflecting the sun above beckoned even the most hydrophobic hedgehog to get in and cool off.

"Alright." Sonic stepped back from the pool and wiped his perspiring brow. "It's ready!"

Amy stopped beside the blue hedgehog with a drink tray in her hands. She stared in awe and bafflement from the size of the pool. "Uh, Sonic... How big is this pool?"

The blue hedgehog whipped out the manual from his back quills and read the information. "Eighteen foot precisely, aaand can hold up to twenty six thousand litres of water."

Her stomach churned in her horror. "Sonic! Did you even consider the water bill?!"

Chuckling at her adorable outburst, Sonic wrapped his arm around her shoulders and kissed the side of her head. "I've got it covered, Relax."

She huffed at him, unwillingly smiling at her husband. He had gone to great lengths to provide the most opulent BBQ for them and their friends, no matter how lavish he may have been.

"You know I meant a paddling pool when I said we should get a pool for today, right?" She giggled at him.

"And this is why I was in charge of getting the pool." He snickered, kissing her tenderly to correct his teasing. His wife happily accepted his apology, smiling against his lips briefly before returning the sweet affection.

"Ugh. You two really need to get a room." A familiar voice forced the couple to break the kiss and turn to their fox friend. He stood amongst the group attending the get together; Knuckles, Rouge, Cream, and Shadow. They walked through the open gate and exchanged greetings with the hedgehogs.

Sonic gave his best friend a fist bump. "Hey, pal. Glad you could make it."

"It was either this, or modify my Hyper Exo Mattifier. You got lucky." Tails winked.

"Well done for choosing to not be a hermit for a day." Sonic smirked. "But seriously, it's good to see you. It's been a while."

"It's been just over three weeks, but don't worry. I totally get it, people tend to forget their best friends when they're in love."

Sonic jolted in surprise at the last word. Looking back at his wife talking to the girls beside the table, he sighed with relief to know she hadn't heard their conversation. "Using strong words there, buddy."

"Yeah, Course I am..." The fox responded vaguely, looking around to the house and focusing his attention on grabbing some food. He chose to leave his best friend to his delusions and walked towards the backdoor to see what Amy had prepared.

The abrupt end to their conversation left Sonic faintly peeved. Throwing false truths into the air with his wife just metres away from them, what was that kid trying to do? Most likely stir trouble for him and then label it as banter.

The situation with Amy was already complicated, he didn't need Tails or any one of his friends making it even more complexed.

Turning back to Amy, she shortly caught onto his gaze and looked back at him, smiling merrily before turning back to Cream and Rouge. She was happy, he was happy. That was all that mattered. With a final glimpse of his loving wife, Sonic moved onto getting the grill fired up.

With the girl's eyes slowly turning away from the blue hedgehog and back to her friends, Amy was met with the girls sniggering back at her. "What?"

"I thought it was the sun that was keeping me heated. Now, I'm not so sure." Rouge smirked, bringing her glass of fruity mocktail to her lips.

Amy raised an eyebrow. "What is that supposed to mean?"

The bat turned to the blue male. "You two can't keep your eyes off each other. We've been here for less than ten minutes, and already, you two have been flying sparks at each other."

Amy blushed. Honestly, she hadn't even noticed her own actions.

"I think it's cute!" Cream smiled brightly. "Your dreams of becoming Sonic's wife have finally come true!"

The pink hedgehog giggled softly. Yes, her dreams had turned out to be better than she imagined. Sonic was truly a loving husband and who knew? Maybe one day in future, he would be the perfect father.

Rouge leaned towards the pink hedgehog. "And how is the dream? Everything you'd hoped it would be?"

"Yes. I couldn't ask for a better husband than Sonic."

"Really?" Her curvaceous friend watched as the blue hero lit the barbecue. "Does that include his performance in the bedroom?" Rouge sniggered, knowing how complicated Amy's perception on the particular topic was. "Have you given it up yet?"

Amy frowned back at her and sighed as she looked away bashfully. "You know how I feel about that..."

Ugh. Yes, it was very complicated. She was very interested in exploring the world of love and lust... All the while, still abstaining her chastity.

It was difficult for her friend to understand. Despite the experience she had in previous relationships, she refused to ever give them her virtue. Why? Because all her love was meant for Sonic.

And it had been, once upon a time.

She had never planned to venture into promiscuity. She had always told herself that she would remain untouched until the night of her wedding night; her wedding night with Sonic, more specifically. The ideal setting had already been fantasised countless times. Rose petals scattered across the bed, candles lit, beautifully slow music in the background and the most passionate night, filled with romance and love.

That was until Sonic came back one day, proud as can be, with the news of another girl in his life. A breathtaking, virtuous princess, no less.

Her world shattered before her, creating a deep, harrowing void within. For years of heartbreaking strive, lone nights with her pillow to feel the weight of her tears, and exhausting effort in masking her pain and clinging to hope, had gone, with a new revelation taking it's place...

No matter how she tried, she would never be loved by the man she truly desired.

This revelation sent her down a twisted spiral. Only just turning seventeen and vulnerable, she sought out the love she couldn't get from her beloved. Took part in amatory acts to just feel that small dose of gratification; that she was wanted. That for a moment, somebody loved her.

And it was just that. A moment. Because the minute she had awoken to some stranger or a man she had deceived into a false relationship, she would feel numb; a cluster of negative emotions that ate away at her and worsened her self loathing.

In her desperation, she had created a dark cycle of self hatred.

Even though she was no longer that vulnerable child longing for love, she was still damaged by her own infliction. Until she knew she was truly loved, her virginity was to remain. Even Sonic would be denied a free pass.

Rouge stared at the pink hedgehog, seeing her looking down in sorrow. She of all people knew of Amy's past and the cause behind it all. But that was years ago. She was now in a happy relationship with the man she dreamt of for so long.

And who were they fooling? This relationship had been brewing away for years; at least six years from her point of view. Witnessing the two becoming more friendly, eventually more flirty, followed by the banter and rather inappropriate touching for two friends in different relationships.

Let's just say, if Knuckles had another woman sat on his lap the majority of the time, always whispering in her ear that made her giggle girlishly and lean against him in a provocative position, she would have been just as angry as Sonic's ex's had been.

So why the suspense? Relationships had been ruined for this, years of build-up had been building to this? Why was she so determined to avoid the inevitable?

"Girl, just look at him. Sonic is mad about you."

Amy turned her attention to her husband. His gaze fell onto her once more, bringing a small smile onto his face. His smile forced the same reaction from her. "It's more complicated than that..." She replied, looking down coyly.

"How?" Rouge placed her hands on her hips. "He chose to be apart of this marriage trial thing, I'm guessing by the lovely bruise on your neck that things have been pretty lively between you two, and believe me, we can all see the little signals you're giving one another."

Amy covered her neck with her hand and blushed lightly. It was still too difficult for Rouge to understand.

"Kinda have to agree with Rouge on this one." Cream chimed in, awkwardly scuffing her sandal against the stone tile beneath their feet. Having this conversation with the girl she saw as her sister was cringe-worthy for her. "I mean, it's your choice and all, but I do believe Sonic truly loves you."

She couldn't help but smile from hearing their perspectives. If they could see the love between them, perhaps it was true?

"I don't know if I have the strength to bring it up." A saddened expression erased her smile. "We haven't really talked about our relationship or our feelings, like, at all. It's been so long since I've told him I loved him, I've forgotten when I last said it."

Rouge and Cream exchanged faces before looking back at their pink friend. "Okay. How about this?" Rouge asked. "Before the end of this, you tell him how you feel? _Maybe_ even show him how you feel? That's up to you. Point is, if you don't tell him how you feel, you'll end up losing him."

Possibly. There was also a chance he would bail on her for bringing up anything to do with love. The line between love and lust was so thin in their relationship, it was difficult to differentiate. With a line so thin, declaring her love for him again could break the tie they had formed over the years. Fourteen long years.

Yet if she said nothing, they would be in the enigma for eternity. Potentially being nothing more than another one of Sonic's casual lovers, and thus repeating the cycle all over again.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Amy nodded in defeat. "You're right. I've gotta tell him how I feel." She said solemnly, gazing at her lover and watching him laughing with Knuckles and Tails whilst grilling the burgers and sausages. Her dreams were suddenly hanging by a thread, the final decision was in his hands.

She could only hope he felt the same way.

* * *

Gathering around the patio table, the team feasted on the food served by the hedgehog couple. An array of choice was spread across the table; from Sonic's proudly grilled chilli dogs and cheeseburgers, to Amy's vegetarian lasagna, potato salad, fruit salad and her specially made, chocolate brownie ice cream cake. A decadent selection to appease the eye.

"So, gang. What'cha think about the spread? I'm not braggin' but I gotta say, I think it's pretty tasty." Sonic grinned, awaiting the praise from his friends for all his (or rather, their) efforts.

"I really like the lasagna." Cream said cheerfully, earning a nod of appreciation from Amy.

Sonic's grin faded. Cream's compliment was biased, he told himself. A vegetarian would be unable to appreciate the succulent tastes and juiciness of the meat he had cooked. Still, if he hadn't gotten the finest vegetables, the lasagna would be non existent. "Glad you like it, Cream. I searched the whole world for the best ingredients."

"Really?" Cream asked, entertaining the egotist.

"You bet! I ran to Spagonia for all the ingredients." His smug grin soon returned. "The spices, I got from Apotos and the ice cream was the best is Holoska."

Tails turned to the pink hedgehog standing beside her husband. "And what ingredients did you get, Amy?"

Looking down at the food, Amy blushed, feeling outshown by Sonic's culinary adventures. "I, er... Got the potatoes from the Station Square market?"

The team placed their plates down to applaud the pink hedgehog.

Knowing their friends were teasing him for boasting, Sonic pouted back at them. "You're welcome, by the way..."

"We were just looking out for your head. Didn't want it to explode with that overinflated ego of yours." Tails smirked to see Sonic's displeased expression. "You both did great. It all looks amazing."

"Thanks, Tails." Amy nodded her head at the man.

"What's even more amazing is you got Sonic to actually cook something." Knuckles said.

The blue hedgehog frowned. "What's that supposed to mean? I knew _how_ to cook, I was just simply too busy to cook."

"Riiight." Knuckles turned to the inventor. "You remember that time when Sonic got inspired to make caramel sauce for his apple?"

Tails laughed at the memory. "It looked like molten lava in a pot! The pot even melted from it."

"In my defense..." Sonic interrupted the laughter around the table. "Caramel sauce isn't as easy to make as it looks. 'Sides, I don't have to worry about kitchen fails when I've got a pretty amazing chef right here." He said, wrapping an arm around his wife's shoulders.

"Aw..." Their friends cooed in jesting manner.

The blue leader rolled his eyes and smiled down at Amy. She returned the subtle fondness and wrapped an arm around his abdomen while placing her head against his shoulder. She breathed in his scent, the sweetness tickling her senses into tranquility.

The tender moment between the couple brought a smile to the fox's face. It was a serene ending to a chapter of anticipation and questioning. His best friend was in love, with a woman who deeply loved and cherished him. With the pair being open and honest with their emotions, they could finally begin their happiness.

Moving his attention to the pool, Tails attempted to persuade his best friend into joining him in the pool. "So now you're done being a connoisseur of the grill, you can join us in the pool."

Sonic looked over to the water chamber of death and grinned sheepishly. "Nah, I'm good. I'm just gonna catch some rays."

"Come on, Sonic. You bought the tank of a pool. At least try it out." Knuckles encouraged the blue hero.

His response was filled with anxiety. "Really, guys. I really don't think that's necessary." He told them, stepping away from them with his hands in front of him.

As he walked backwards, he accidentally bumped into his rival. With a face of thunder, Shadow grabbed the blue blur and threw him into the water.

"Argh!" Sonic yelped as he splashed around on the surface.

Flying over to his best friend, Tails slammed a rubber ring over the hedgehog. "There. Now you can swim."

Sonic gripped onto the ring with all his strength. "Are you trying to kill me, Shadow?!" He barked at the ultimate lifeform.

"Your death would be a lot more slow and excruciating if I intended to kill you." Shadow reassured him.

"Uh..." Sonic blinked. Was that meant to comfort him? "Thanks, I guess?"

"Last one in is a egghead!" Tails shouted as he dived into the pool, splashing Sonic in the process.

Rushing into the pool, the team splashed and swam around for the majority of the heated afternoon, enjoying each other's company and building treasured memories.

* * *

Taking a break from filling his anxiety levels, Sonic sat back in a recliner and relaxed under the sun. This was the life, taking it easy, surrounded by the people he cared about the most. Nope, nothing could make this moment better.

Except a can of lemonade. That would hit the spot.

Sitting up momentarily, he reached over and opened the drink cooler, only to find they had ran out of drinks. He groaned at his luck. With the sun making him lazy, Sonic looked around the garden for Amy. His darling wife would surely provide him with the desired beverage.

"Hey Ames!" He called out to his wife just as she was carrying the empty plates back into the house. She stopped in her stride and faced him. "Can you get me a lemonade? We ran out."

"Sure thing, hun." She nodded back at him, smiling brightly as she accepted his request before walking into the house.

Sonic watched as she walked out of sight, mentally admiring her body in the red one piece. Once everyone had gone home, he planned on giving that body a lot of attention.

In his staring, he hardly noticed Tails and Knuckles joining him on the nearby recliners. "So Sonic, how's the marriage going?" Knuckles asked, snapping the hedgehog out of his gaze.

Sonic looked back at the red male and shortly smiled. "It's going alright."

"No kiddin'. You sure look happy."

His smile grew. "Heh, yeah. Things are turning out better than I thought they would. I can't really complain about anything."

"Not even the lack of, what Tails calls, intercourse of the penetrative kind?"

Now he was blushing. Chuckling awkwardly, the hedgehog looked around to make sure his wife wasn't around to hear what he was about to say. "Believe me, with a freak like her, you won't even need that kinda sex."

Knuckles smirked. "How freaky are we talking?"

"Dude, you don't wanna know. Seriously, it would change the way you see her."

Tails shook his head at the thought. "Yeah, pretty freaky then... But other than sex, how is the relationship? You two been seeing through your differences? Working together? That kinda thing?"

Sonic placed his hands behind his head and closed his eyes, picturing his beautiful wife. "Yeah, it's all good. Like I said, I can't find anything to complain about. The dates are more like missions; action packed and adventurous, we do our own things without pestering one another, and we just click, you know? I guess I'm gonna miss it all once it's over."

His friends looked at one another in confusion and then back to the hedgehog. "What do you mean, 'once it's over'?" Tails glared at him.

Hearing the disdain in his voice, Sonic opened an eye and looked towards the fox. "What? This can't go on forever. I've said from the start. Amy and I want different things. She wants an actual marriage, kids and the whole traditional shebang. I can't give her that."

"Hold up a sec." Tails shook his head, along with his hand. "You agreed to go along with this trial, which by the way, you vowed to take one hundred percent seriously. Why would you sign up for something like this if you knew you weren't gonna give Amy a chance to begin with?"

Now feeling uncomfortable with the turn of conversation, Sonic sat up, but remained silent. Judging by the disappointment on his best friend's face after finding out his true feelings in regards to the trial, he wouldn't want to hear the motive behind his reason to accept it.

Unfortunately for Sonic, Tails was too smart to remain clueless. "For the love of Chaos, do not tell me you only signed up for this just to sleep with Amy?"

"Dude!" Sonic looked around frantically, grateful nobody had heard Tails's angered interrogation. "Chill out. By agreeing to the trial, I've been able to give Amy what she's always wanted from me, while I got what I wanted. It's an agreement where both of us win."

"And you think that's what Amy wants? To be another one of your flings?" He scoffed in disagreement. "How long are you gonna keep this denial up? Everyone can see that you love her, and you're still willing to throw your happiness away because you don't wanna compromise on your freedom? I mean, have you even spoken to Amy about compromising on kids and marriage?"

"We haven't really had time to talk, if you know what I mean..." Sonic smirked unintentionally, his blush taking over his face. Knuckles sniggered along with the hedgehog and gave him a fist bump.

Tails looked at the pair with disapproval. "Seriously, Sonic. If you know there's no way you can see yourself being compatible with Amy, long term, you're better off telling her right now and ending this. Do her a favour and stop wasting her time."

The harsh words startled him. He was used to Tails being blunt with his words but hearing how let down he was and seeing him scowling deeply back at him, it made his heart ache.

But he wasn't seeing his perspective. Sure, it sounded disgusting to use a friend for sex, but she had always wanted to be with him and he had given her just that! He was given the choice to decline the possibility of continuing the relationship after the trial anyway. It wasn't like the possibility of not staying with her would be a complete shock.

"Tails, relax. You're making this into a bigger deal than it has to be." Sonic said calmly and quietly.

"Am I? So you think what you're doing is totally okay? That no one's gonna get hurt in this?" Sonic couldn't say a word. "How about I call Amy over here now, and tell her that you've been lying to her about your intentions from the start, and that the only reason you're with her right now was just so you could finally sleep with her?"

Sonic immediately jumped up from his seat. "No, no, no, no. Tails, don't. Please?" He begged, the desperation was strong in his tone of voice.

Tails scoffed again. "You just proved that deep down, you also know how wrong you are for doing this."

Sonic looked down in defeat. The hard truth punched the guilt into him. Amy had planned the trial in hopes of showing him how their relationship would be if they were together. He had turned her proposal into his opportunity to have his way with her and then go back to the way they were before.

A complicated bash and dash.

Eugh. He felt ashamed of himself.

"Alright, alright." Sonic sighed. "I'll break it off." He told his friends in his sorrow. His footing was heavy as he walked away from the pair and towards the house to break the news to his, soon-to-be ex wife.

Just the thought of breaking up brought a sickly feeling to his stomach.

He could just see her pain already. After he would reveal the truth, she'd breakdown in tears, sink to her knees in heartache, beg him to not leave her and possibly scream her turmoil on the floor, too weakened by the strong emotions to get up.

It was enough to make his eyes twitch as he felt the tears in his eyes attempt to make an appearance.

He shook his head. This wasn't the time to breakdown. He had to face the consequences to his actions. He would stand before his goddess and confess his sins, forever exiling himself from her heaven.

The sounds of sniffling came from the kitchen. Soft feminine sobs could be heard, stopping him in his tracks. That was Amy's cry... Oh Chaos... Had she heard his conversation with Tails?

Just as he was about to poke his head into the kitchen, he was met with the dark hedgehog exiting. Ruby eyes burned through his own emerald pair, emitting the emotions behind the ultimate lifeform's usual emotionless facade. He was surprised to see him standing there, a flame of temperament igniting on sight and a hidden shame. Something Sonic was sure he misinterpreted.

Their eye contact happened and ended within seconds, with Shadow walking off to the right, down the hall towards the front door. He was leaving?

Amy's sniffling brought Sonic back to reality. He looked into the kitchen to see her facing away from him, wiping away her tears. She sighed heavily and tried to soothe herself.

"Ames..." Sonic said more quietly than intended. His nerves now jittering and clenching his stomach. Chaos, was he brave enough to do this?

Startled, Amy span around and quickly smiled through her anguish, something he knew was her way of hiding her emotions. "Oh, Sonic... H-how long have you been there?"

"Just for a second... You alright?" He asked, approaching the pink hedgehog, another round of churning in his abdomen. His nerves were not done with him yet. A lump of emotions sat in the back of his throat, making swallowing a difficult chore. His mind filled with memories of their time together, haunting him with images of his cheerful, adoring lover. Her laughter chiming through his head as a reminder of what he'd miss if he were to end what they had.

The tears were pinching his eyes again.

"Oh, me? Y-yeah, I'm fine. It's silly really. I was just thinking about how happy I am and got all emotional." She laughed softly. "Was there something you wanted?" She was staring back at him, her eyes dancing in fear and yet contradicting her negative emotions with a glimmer of hope.

Looking at her expression left him paralysed. He couldn't do it. He wasn't ready to give it all up. No matter how much he knew his lie could damage her, he couldn't bring himself to force that tsunami of pain onto her and split them apart.

Going against what he had told Tails, the blue hedgehog wrapped his arms around his wife and held her dearly. "I want you." He managed to say before the lump in his throat threatened to produce a sob. He buried his face in her hair, deeply inhaling her scent in order to calm himself.

A gasp escaped her as he gently squeezed her against his chest. Her previous tears began to pour from her eyes as the overwhelming mixed emotions spilled out of her. "You've always had me. Always." She clinged to him with all the strength she could muster. Resting her head on his shoulder, she bit her lip, knowing of the potential rumbling storm that was to rive their relationship to ashes.


	7. The Date That Tops Dates

Chapter Seven: The Date That Tops Dates

Another morning of duty forced her out of bed. The same religiously kept routine of perfection for her beloved. Although, her religious upkeep had lost such a substantial amount of faith given the events of the barbecue a week ago.

They were back to the awkward stage again. Affection, though given, was delivered with a thick layer of tension and usually with both of them smiling bashfully or laughing nervously. Sex had been abolished too. Not because it wasn't wanted, but because neither of them were brave enough to initiate it; with Sonic feeling guilty, and Amy... Well, she felt the exact same way.

The thought of her own actions tormented her. A darkened cloud of thunder hanging over her shoulders, warning her of her bad karma. The burden was heavy, and provided enough fear to petrify.

Because she knew, one way or another, her actions were going to come back to bite her.

Amy let out a heavy sigh in an attempt to lessen her aching, anxious heart. Sonic couldn't find out about what she did, what she intended to do. It was excruciating to hold in, but to reveal anything would bring him as much heartache.

No, he could never know. It wasn't like he wasn't keeping secrets from her anyway.

Just how far was he willing to carry his lie?

There was probably a more logical, rational solution to find out if Sonic would cross that line and complete his mission to sleep with her, knowing he didn't love her. But she needed to know, to see for herself, just how far he would go.

There was a chance she would lose her virginity that night. So to ensure she would not end up alone with Sonic's child while he possibly continued to birth a nation of speedsters elsewhere, she had consulted her doctor and gotten herself birth control pills.

Amy read the information carefully before placing one of the pills in her mouth and flushing it down with water. With the contraception out of the way, she placed the box of pills on the top shelf of her cabinet, ready to be taken the same time tomorrow morning. Now she had to wash her face and carry on with her routine.

With her face washed, Amy stood in front of her bathroom mirror and examined the results. Clean and clear. Once she had finished her workout, she would complete her look.

Giving her reflection a final glance, Amy opened the door to make her way downstairs. She stopped dead in her tracks, the sight of her husband standing there left her mortified. What was he doing up?! Why was he even awake?!

Chaos! He was staring at her, fresh faced. Bare.

"Hey, you..." He scratched the back of his head bashfully. "I thought I'd find you in here." He smiled, attempting to break the tension between them.

"Sonic..." Amy gasped, her eyes dilating in her horror. She tried to hide her face from him by switching off the bathroom light and stepping back into the shadows.

"Everything alright?" He asked, puzzled by her sudden, strange behaviour.

"What are you doing up at this time?" She asked, too embarrassed to step back into the small amount of natural light.

Exhaling a nerved chuckle, Sonic tried to distract himself away from his anxiety by looking around the bathroom. "I, uh, noticed a couple of weeks ago that you get up early, then come back to bed... I know it's part of your routine and all, but..." A tensioned breath left his lips as the fear of rejection grew. "Can you... Come back? To bed, with me?" He looked back at her with hope filled eyes, grovelling for the warmth of her embrace he had grown used to.

Still in her state of shock, Amy failed to even blink. Had he nothing to say about her bare baby face? The last time he saw her natural complexion was six years ago. Yet he didn't seem too fazed by her appearance. Was he not shocked to see her like this?

Embarrassed by her exposure before him, Amy tried to look down and avoid his gaze. "You want us to go back to bed and cuddle?" She rephrased his question back at him, earning a faint nod in return.

She found herself smiling at the request. After a week of facing away from one another during the twilight hours, hearing him admit to missing the affection, and even waking up at such an hour to request it back, it was adorable.

But did he really have to ask now? At the beginning of her routine to perfection?

"Uh, yeah. That's fine. But there's something I still need to do-"

Not liking the talk in the dark, Sonic stepped into the doorframe and turned on the light. With her bare face once again visible, Amy screeched and covered her face with both hands.

"Ames? What's happened? What are you trying to hide?" Sonic asked, now highly concerned at the thought of his wife hurting herself.

"It's nothing! Just go and wait for me, will you?!" She demanded, turning away from him in hopes he'd listen and leave.

Curiosity got the better of him. A death wish upon his head. Lightly treading towards the pink woman, Sonic grabbed her wrists and pulled her hands away from her face. Other than the stunned look displayed on her youthful features, he failed to find any damages or scarring.

"Phew. For a minute there, I thought you were hurt." He chuckled softly and released her wrists.

Amy held her dumbfounded expression. Had he really not noticed? "You-" She breathed out, aghast by his lack of observation. "You're not fazed by my appearance?"

Her question baffled him. "What...?" He raised his eyebrow. "Why would I?" His brow relaxed to express his apprehension. "Ames, you don't feel bad about yourself, do ya?" He gave her a sympathetic look as he approached her. Laying his hands in her cheeks, he smiled fondly. "Because you're beautiful. Breathtakingly beautiful."

She blushed at the use of such strong words. Did he truly feel that way about her appearance this whole time? Faintly sighing, Amy looked down sheepishly, yet smiled through her shyness. "I didn't want you to see me without makeup on."

"Is that why you've been waking up so early, every morning? To put makeup on?" She nodded back at him. "Aw, Ames..." He grinned, pulling her into his arms. "You don't need makeup to look beautiful. I mean, wear it if you like it, but you look amazing with, or without it."

"You really don't mind seeing me without makeup on?"

"Honestly, I didn't notice you were wearing it." He laughed.

Amy rolled her eyes before smiling. She should've expected Sonic's unobservant eyes. Even though he had admitted to not even noticing her efforts, his sincerity in regards to her appearance reassured her enough. She didn't have to look perfect to be seen as perfect in his eyes.

Well, you know, perfect enough to sleep with, not marry.

"Are you still wanting to paint your face or can we have extra cuddle time?" He asked with a deep blush plastered on his cheeks.

Smitten by his want for her, Amy took his hand in hers and lead him out the bathroom and back to bed. "Remember, no funny business, hedgehog." She playfully warned him, looking back at him over her shoulder.

"Funny business? Oh, you mean like this?" He asked rhetorically, scooping the girl into his arms and dashing into the bedroom. The gust of wind closed the door behind them, locking in the faint sounds of laughter coming from the couple.

* * *

The long cuddle session was just what they needed to reconnect. With their morning spent on talking about absolutely nothing, in one another's embrace, then forcing themselves out of bed to get breakfast; pancakes with honey, made and shared together. Following that with mischief in the shower, it was like the events at the barbecue had never happened.

He still wasn't sure if she had heard the conversation between him and the guys. He hadn't brought it to her attention, in fear of her asking about it, and she never confronted him on it, so it was never mentioned.

Yet that week long tension proved no words had to be said. There was hidden pain in her eyes, a loss of her vivaciousness. She clinged onto the threads that held her happiness together through a damaged smile and cheery facade.

And he was sure he could hear her sobbing in the shower.

He screwed up, big time. Destroying their relationship in his bragging and shattering her heart by revealing his true intentions. He regretted his words, his pursuit to bed her and leave. After a week to think about his actions and how close he came to losing her as a friend and as a lover, he decided he needed to prove how much he cared about her. How important she was to him.

Even if he wasn't entirely certain if he loved her, he knew she was the best damn thing to grace his life and she needed to feel just as special.

And to make it up to her, he was going to give her **the best** date ever. The king of dates would need to step down once their night was over.

Allowing his best friend to adjust the bow tie around his neck, Sonic checked himself out in the full length mirror. The restaurant he had chosen was the swankiest place in Central City. To match the highly sophisticated setting, he had bought himself a bespoke, black, form fitting suit jacket and matching bow tie.

"There." Tails said, stepping away from the blue hedgehog and allowing him to see only himself in the mirror. "You look good."

"Good?" Sonic raised an eyebrow at his younger brother.

The fox rolled his eyes sarcastically back at him. "Sorry. You look immaculate, flawless, unsurpassable-"

"Alright, that's enough. Thanks for the help, man. I appreciate it."

"You're welcome. I still can't believe you're in a suit! You're really going all out for this date."

Sonic rubbed his nose bashfully, grinning from ear to ear. "You bet I did! Just check out the gifts I got." He said, picking up a large, red gift bag from beside his bed and placing it on the blanket. "Everything I've got is in the 'Amy _Rose'_ ' theme."

"There's a theme in the gifts?"

"Yeah! There's a rose bear..." He trailed off, picking up a medium sized bear, covered entirely in small, pink roses. A miniature, silver crown sat around it's right ear. "Because, you know, rose is in her name. I even got a little crown to show that she's the queen of the roses." He placed the bear down gently and took out the rest of the gifts for Amy. "A rose in a dome; _specifically_ dyed blue and pink, a rose scented candle, a bouquet of roses, because of the obvious..."

"That's a lot of gifts..." Tails smiled awkwardly, staring at all the gifts Sonic was scattering on his bed.

"I'm not done yet!" The hedgehog said enthusiastically. He placed a box of chocolate covered strawberries down and then took out a long, thin box. "These aren't really in the rose theme but chocolate covered strawberries are kinda our thing. And this..." He opened the box and showed his brother the droplet shaped sapphire necklace on a silver chain. "I found out Amy's birthstone is sapphire, so I got her a sapphire necklace. I can see why she likes blue so much now." He sniggered.

Tails gawped at the glistening gemstone. The deep blue jewel captivated him, drowning his sights into its depth, like the ocean core. "Sonic..." He gasped, unable to draw his eyes away from the necklace. "How much did you pay for that?"

"It's not about the price, buddy." Sonic told him, closing the box and thus breaking the fox's gaze. "It's about the look on her face when she sees it."

His brother admirably stared at him as he looked down at the box in hand. Admittedly, when Sonic had returned from speaking to Amy, only to tell him and Knuckles that he couldn't go through with the breakup, he had given the hedgehog a few firm words. Though as the week went by, he could see his brother's regret and ambition to make things right again. Seeing him going to the highest heights to impress the girl of his dreams was enough reassurance him that he was serious this time around.

"I'm sure Amy's gonna love it. Heck, I think seeing you in a suit will be enough for her." Tails chuckled.

Sonic joined in on the faint laughter. "Yeah, probably..." He checked the time on his communicator. 7:46pm. That gave him fourteen minutes to pick up his date and then get to the restaurant at 8:30pm. "Alright. I can do this." He encouraged himself, shaking off the excess nerves by hopping up and down on the spot. "Okay, quick, check me out."

The fox performed the checklist on the hero; checking his smell, appearance and attire. "All good." He gave him a thumbs up.

"Thanks, pal." Sonic said, quickly packing the gifts back into the bag. He turned to the dresser and grabbed his keys. "Is my car ready?"

"Always. It's not like you drive it a lot."

"I know. Even though I'll be faster on foot, I don't wanna mess up Amy's hair in the wind, so I thought I'd drive there instead. Besides, nothing says snazzy like a sports car, right?"

Tails raised his eyebrows, flabbergasted by how thoughtful Sonic could be when he wanted to be. "You've really thought this through, haven't you?"

"Heh, you know it, buddy." He winked. "Alright, gotta go. Later Tails." He said before dashing out of the room.

The fox smiled contently to himself to know how happy his brother was after being blessed with a second chance to right his wrongs. Hopefully after their date, his friends would _finally_ be able to have a relationship without this bothersome pretence.

**Beep, beep. Beep, beep.**

His communicator snapped him out of his thoughts. Looking down at the device attached to his wrist, Tails brought his arm up towards his lips and answered the call. "Tails here."

"Dude, you seen Sonic?" Knuckles asked in a agitated frenzy.

Confused and somewhat concerned by his friend's angered voice and the mention of Sonic's name, Tails hesitated to answer. "He just left... Why, what's happened?"

Knuckles sighed, attempting to calm his temper. "Something happened at barbecue..."

"What happened?" Tails asked, anxiety kicking him in the stomach, churning it's contents. Hearing what Knuckles had to say, the fox's mouth fell open in devastation. "... What?" He turned towards the door his brother had left wide open, feeling the pain in his heart that would eventually taint the heart of his best friend.

* * *

The engine roared it's magnificence as it's owner sped down the road to pick up his date. His fingers tapped on the steering wheel in his excitement, thinking of the look on her face when she saw everything he had planned just for her. Just the thought of her smile caused him to grin.

Oh yes, she was going to love it.

Given this had been the first time he had thoroughly planned out a date, he was pretty impressed with himself. Amy had been the centre of all his plans. Everything based around her best interests.

If that wasn't husband material, husband material had to be modified to his level.

Coming to a gradual stop, Sonic parked at the end of the pathway to Amy's house and made his way to her front door with his bag of gifts in hand. He stood outside her door, taking deep breaths to release his nerves. It was ridiculous. All the years he had known her, after everything they had been through together and still, he was jittery when it came to taking her out.

There was no logic to it. But not knowing the unknown only added to the adventure.

Knocking on her door, Sonic waited with little patience, distracting himself with the appealing wildflowers growing on the rich, green grass surrounding her house. Beautiful in their own right, yet shunning to the sight of the goddess herself. He knew how that felt, grovelling on hands and knees to such beauty.

Hearing the click of the door, Sonic turned towards the barrier keeping him away from his lover. As the door slowly moved aside, his eyes were treated to such a sight he had not prepared to anticipate.

His lover stood before him, gracing him in a body hugging, lacy, navy blue dress, the fabric ending just before her knees. The long laced sleeves fell loosely off her shoulders, exposing her collar bone and moderate cleavage. To match the highly formal dress, she had slipped on black heels with a bow tie strapping the shoes to her ankles. Coincidentally matching his own neck accessory.

This time, he acknowledged her cosmetic skills. How her lashes appeared to be extended, her glowing skin, and rose painted lips. The cuteness of her natural features now enhanced to show praise to the sultry goddess she was.

Completing her look were her wavy quills she had styled by placing half up into a ponytail and allowing the rest to fall down her slender back. A truly goddess inspired look.

"Oh my god..." He breathed out.

"Sonic..." Amy gasped, covering her mouth with both hands. "Oh my-"

"You look-" The couple said as one, causing them to laugh at their combined overjoy to see one another. The pair took a moment to overcome their fanning over each other, laughing and grinning widely with excitement.

"You look amazing!" Amy gushed.

"Me? You clearly win in the looks department." His blush scorched his cheeks. "I can't even find the words." He scratched the back of his head. "You're looking... Amy. There, the goddess level of beautiful."

"Aw. In that case, you're looking very Sonic." Amy giggled.

"That's the best way to look." He smirked. His eyes wandered down momentarily out of nervousness, his gaze immediately falling onto the bag of gifts. "Oh, these are for you." He told her, handing the bag over to her. His nervousness getting motivated to becoming jittery once more.

"Oh, thank you." She said, pleasantly surprised by his thoughtfulness. Peering into the bag, Amy gasped and gushed at all the gifts, smiling delightfully with gratitude. "Oh Sonic, all of these gifts are wonderful. Thank you so much!"

As he imagined, the radiant smile on her face made all his efforts worthwhile. The pain she beared throughout the week had subsequently washed away with the gifts of appreciation. Her happiness shown through, embellishing her beauty even further.

Curious by the long box at the bottom of the bag, Amy gently placed the bag on the floor, beside her and opened the jewelry casing. She gasped loudly to the sapphire necklace within. "Sonic..." She looked up at the blue hedgehog before her. "You got this for me?"

"Nah, it's for me. But you can borrow it if you'd like." He teased. Stepping forward, the hero took the necklace in his hand and moved behind his wife. "Good thing you chose a blue dress to match." He said as he secured the necklace around her neck. "Blue looks good on you."

"I was thinking the same thing. On me, behind me, under me." She smirked, looking back at her beloved suggestively.

Sonic blushed behind his grin, caught off guard by her suggestive talk. Oh he had missed the playfully flirtatious banter. "I can make you look and feel good if you want me to?"

"If you play your cards right, I might just take you up on that offer." She smirked, stepping out of the house and looking back at her bewildered lover.

"You're just messin' on the last bit, right?" He had to be certain she wasn't serious about that possibility, no matter how cruel it was to tease him about it.

She held her smirk as she approached him and guided her dumbfounded husband out of the house. "It would be a pretty good way to end this marriage trial, don't you think?"

Streaks of confetti blasted throughout his mind. Every brain cell standing to attention to honour such a glorious moment of celebration. He was going to get his girl, given the key to the gates of paradise. He was to be doused in her passion and baptised in her love.

He hoped his heart would hold up until that moment.

Giggling at his gormless expression, Amy locked her front door before grabbing his hand and guiding him to the end of the pathway, towards his car. "Oh, you're driving?"

Coming round from his daze, Sonic shook his head and looked to his vehicle. "Oh, yeah. Didn't wanna give you a case of windswept hair after you went through the effort of looking the way you do."

"You're so sweet." She squeezed his hand and gave him a smile before stretching out her free hand to open the car door.

"Wait." Sonic insisted, stepping before the girl and opening the door for her. He turned to his date and held out his hand to help her into the car.

"Wow. You're really pulling out all the stops." Amy said, impressed by his gentleman ways. With the help of the blue hero, she carefully got into the car.

"Only the best for Mrs The Hedgehog." He smirked at her before closing her door and dashing to the driver's side and hopping into his seat. He looked to his wife and smirked in his elation. "I can't wait to show you off."

His words caused her heart to jolt, and then flutter adoringly. How he had been so enlivened by her appearance and had gone through all the hassle of providing her the best date she had ever been on. Though the reason behind his efforts was still to be questioned. Was this a mere apology, or a continuation in his pursuit to sleep with her?

He hadn't necessarily shown signs of wanting to initiating sex. Of course, his actions could be his attempt to swoon her into the possibility, but he had been so considerate and loving towards her, solely aspiring for her affection and making her feel treasured, if he had been continuing his plans to bed her, he had thought his plan out rigorously.

Upon stopping at a red light, Sonic took his hand off of the gear stick and rested his hand over hers. He brought her hand to his lips and planted a small kiss, successfully melting her heart for the one hundredth time that single day.

It was probably naive of her, but he had already won her over and the date had barely started.

Perhaps later for that. For now, she would have to distract herself from his temptation. She turned her attention to their surroundings. Within minutes of driving, they had already made it through Station Square. "Where are we going?" Amy asked, surprised to discover their destination was outside of town.

"Only to the most fancy place to wine and dine."

She pondered, staring at him while deep in thought. The Vineyard had been the most fancy place in Station Square. They had already passed that. The closest city from Station Square was City Central and their fanciest restaurant; Aroma, was difficult to get into.

Judging by the grin on his face, Sonic being Sonic may have just got them in. "Did you get a table in Aroma?" She gasped as she noticed his grin grow. "How? That place is always booked!"

"I saved the owner from a fire a while back. He's been wantin' to pay me back ever since."

"Oh Sonic!" She squealed, now fidgeting in her seat in a joyous display. "I can't wait!"

Sonic smirked at her enthusiasm, reflecting in his own energetic levels. The positive energy oozing from them fused into exhilaration that encouraged the blue hedgehog to speed up. "You won't have to wait too long. Let's crank up the speed!" His smirk widened as he pressed his foot down on the accelerator.

Racing down the road, Sonic snickered to the sounds of his wife cheering beside him, laughing and screaming in delight, loving the rush of it all. There was something exceptional in seeing her light up the way she did around him, how he too found himself seeing the world more vibrantly when she was beside him. It was extraordinary, wonderfully extraordinary.

It wasn't long before they arrived at the restaurant. The twisting, skyscraping, tower that was inspired by ice sculptures, stood tall amongst the nearby buildings. The warming interior lights reflected onto the stained glass windows, lighting the tower in shades of purple and pink, gradually fading into a light shade of blue towards the top. A contemporary, modern building amongst the ordinary.

"Ugh, doesn't it look romantic?" Amy sighed as she looked up at the building.

"Uh, yeah. It looks alright." Sonic somewhat agreed, not giving the building too much thought.

"You know, ever since we were kids, I've always dreamed you would whisk me away and take me to a place like this. That, for a moment, we'd forget how the world saw us and we could, for once, just enjoy each other's company." Amy spoke gently as she stared in awe at the skyscraper.

He looked over to the fantasising hedgehog beside him. His wife was probably the most easily impressed woman he had the pleasure of dating. Her dreams were all based around him, not the hero he was, but of him, a mere mortal. She had always been the one to see right through him and love the flaws he possessed. It was one of her most powerful gifts. But was her gift natural? Or had he unknowingly given this gift to her?

That was enough thought for one night.

"Let's hope this version of your dream meets the standard then." He said, parking his car close to the entrance and hopping out the car to open the door for his date. She held his hand as she stepped out of the car and waited for him to lock the doors before walking hand in hand into the restaurant.

The ground floor contained the reception area. Matching the modern design of the building, the reception was marble decorated, grey and white, geometric tiles, combined with the geometric patterned dark walls, illuminated by white lights embedded between the lines. In the centre of the room was a large counter, adorned with three computers and telephones, also obeying to the monochrome design.

Walking through the second pair of glass doors, the couple looked around at the appeasing atmosphere. "Now this is what I call swanky." Sonic whistled. His whistling grabbed the attention of the owner and his staff.

"Ah, Mister The Hedgehog." The owner cheered , throwing his hands up in delight. "What an honour it is to serve you in our restaurant."

"Heh, the honour's all mine. Pretty impressive place you got here, Orson."

The lanky ferret rejoiced at the praise. "Oh you charm me so!" He stepped out from behind the desk and shook Sonic's hand. "But come now. I wish to provide you and your exquisite date, the finest experience this evening. If you would both follow me, I shall show you to your table."

They followed the ferret to the elevator to the right of the counter. As they began to ascend from the ground floor, Sonic checked himself out in the mirror, earning a giggle from his wife. Too focused on watching his vanity, she had hardly noticed the journey onto the top floor.

The doors opened to the rooftop. The rooftop bar area, embellished in black and white furnishings were lit with various lanterns on the tables, creating the warming atmosphere, much like the interior of the whole restaurant. To add the splendor of the aesthetic design was the view of Central City from their table. The lights of the city being the romantic attraction of it all.

"Oh my-" Amy gasped.

"Does this match your dream date?" Sonic asked, hiding his hopefulness behind a cocky grin.

"It surpasses anything I could ever imagine. I don't even know what to say." She laughed breathlessly, too overwhelmed to think.

Sonic simply smiled back at her as she twirled around to look at the view. After everything he had done to her, it felt good to finally get something right and put a smile on her face.

Finally overcoming her awe-struck condition, the pair took their seat in the corner, taking full advantage of the view. They took a moment to enjoy the scenery before looking back at each other and sharing smiles of affection.

"You're really full of surprises, Sonic The Hedgehog." Amy commented.

"I am? I thought I was pretty self explanatory."

Amy shook her head. "Just when I think I've grasped who you are, you always do something unexpected." She found herself unintentionally swooning. "You always prove yourself to be the most mysterious man I know."

"Eh, I like to keep things fresh." He shrugged. "Change things up from time to time."

Her head fell against her hands in her infatuation. Yes, he was unpredictable, hiding more layers she could make her way through. But she loved it. The more time she spent with him, the more she discovered. A continuous adventure that made her want to find out more.

The thought of giving up the adventure that was Sonic The Hedgehog left a bitter taste in her mouth.

"I wouldn't say I'm the only one who's mysterious though." He grinned. "If we didn't start this trial, I wouldn't have guess how wild you really were."

Amy blushed, gazing at him with her mouth slightly agape. "Wild?" She repeated. Her blushed deepened once she realised he was referring to her behaviour in the bedroom. "Oh." She giggled. "Well, it's like I said before, I like to explore the depths of freedom. What with you being a lover of freedom yourself, I wonder just how... deep, you'll venture in me."

Did... Did she just say _in_ her?

He coughed in the midst of his chuckling. "I don't doubt I'll be the biggest adventure you've ever had."

"I don't doubt that either." She winked back at him while smiling flirtatiously.

If that flirtatious banter didn't confirm their nightly activities, he was clearly reading this situation wrong entirely.

"Good evening! My name is Earl, I'll be your server tonight, may I take your order?" The waiter appeared beside their table, snapping them out of their gaze.

"Oh!" The couple grabbed their menus and scanned the choices. The bistro styled menu was one Sonic wasn't familiar with. A much higher standard than Meh Burger.

"You seriously have customers paying twelve rings for a kale salad?" Sonic asked the waiter.

"Sonic." Amy scolded her husband beneath her breath.

"I know you were thinking the same thing." He looked back at her. "Asparagus crostini? Hempseed quiche? Goat cheese with red radicchio spread?" Sonic scoffed. "Thanks, but I'll just skip the appetizers.

Not wanting to agree with Sonic's tactless take on the menu in front of the waiter, Amy nodded her head slightly. "Can I have the lemon brined roast chicken, please?"

"Absolutely." Earl nodded, scribbling her order down on his miniature notepad. "And for you, sir?"

"I'll have the steak and fries."

"Frites." Amy smirked at him.

"Don't you start with the fancy names. They're fries. End of."

The waiter scribbled down his order. "Okay, I have lemon brined chicken and steak with... fries. Would you like anything else? Desserts?"

Sonic looked down at the desserts, pleased to see dishes he knew about. "Now we're talking. I'll have the chocolate and raspberry tart."

"Strawberry shortcake please." Amy told the waiter.

"Great. And finally, what would you like to drink?"

"Lemonade for me please." Sonic said.

"Peach lemonade please." Amy answered.

"Wait, that's a thing?" Sonic asked, looking at the back of the menu for the drink selection. "Scratch that, I'll have what she's having."

After writing their order down, Early nodded to the couple. "Your meals will be with you shortly." He bowed his head before leaving the couple.

"Can I get extra fries too?!" Sonic called out to the waiter. She turned to see his wife shaking her head at him. "What? We can share. Knowing places like these, the portion probably couldn't feed a child."

"And your stomach is like twenty children's stomachs rolled into one. Aroma has a big order to fill from you alone." She teased him.

"Says the girl who can eat a double meh burger and regret size fries, with a hearty portion of nuggets on the side."

"Hey, when I treat myself, I do it right. When I have a personal trainer like you around, I worry less about my calorie intake."

"Personal trainer, eh?"

"Oh yeah. The extra sessions have done wonders on my butt. Don't you agree?"

Their laughter echoed in the open air. "Yeah, it seems a lot firmer after all the smacks it's been taking." Sonic sniggered.

Amy clicked her tongue, debating on whether to ask the bold question. "And... What about these private sessions? Do they stand outside the trial... or not?" She forced herself to look back at him.

It wasn't like he hadn't thought about that. The week without her love had him questioning his whole life. He wasn't that far into thinking of their future, but he knew he didn't want what they had to end.

And with the proposition he had for her, maybe it didn't have to end just yet. "I actually wanted to bring up the topic of the future and stuff..." She nodded back at him, her eyes now spilling her fears. "You and I are... a team. A really good team. We just get each other, you know what I'm talking about, right?"

"Yes." She nodded, her voice sounded less confident than her head gesture.

"With someone like you who understands me as a person, I can't think of anyone better than to have as a co-founder to the hero academy."

Amy blinked at him in shock. Co-founder? He wanted her to start this academy alongside him? "A-are you sure? W-what about Tails or Knuckles?"

"While I do want the guys involved in the academy, I want you to be the one I can turn to as my partner. You've always been there for me through the good and bad, you're way more level headed and responsible than I'll ever be when it comes to serious stuff, and seeing the way you deal with kids is enough to convince me that you were born to be surrounded by kids. Just think, you'll be a mother to thousands! That's if you want to..."

The tears began to form in her eyes as she welled up with emotions. Of all the people he knew, whom he was closed to, he had chosen her to take on this grand adventure, to change the world. As co-founder, they would be together almost all the time, changing the lives of the less fortunate.

They would be raising these children, together.

Amy sat back in her chair and wiped away the stray tears.

"You okay?" He asked, feeling bad for making her cry.

"Yeah." She laughed softly. "These are happy tears." She wiped away the remaining tears. "I would love to be your partner in the academy."

"Happy to have you on board, partner." Sonic grinned, holding out his hand for her to shake. Giggling through her emotional state, Amy reached out for his hand. To her surprise, Sonic jumped to his feet and pulled her across the table. She quickly brought her free hand down onto the table to support herself as her husband placed a tender kiss on her lips.

A gathering of sparks fused into bolts of lightning that jittered her nerves and exhilarated the flow of her blood, burning her cheeks and her overall form in the rush of Sonic's passion, instantly melting her conscious thoughts. She was inebriated by the sensually rich sweetness of his cologne; a mixture of orange and cinnamon awakening her senses. Wrapped up in the warm smells of his scent, the world around her became a fabrication, a realm of orange sunset and warming fires taking it's place.

The tender moment was short lived. Being just as infatuated as his lover, Sonic pulled her over the table and into his arms, sitting back in his seat and placing her in his lap. Amy let out a surprised gasp, causing a moment of faint laughter before the continuation of their growing fevered affection.

The couple took full advantage of the closeness, pressing their steaming bodies against each other aggressively in their eagerness, hands exploring with little restraint. With no other souls to prohibit their behaviour, the lovers lost themselves in their lust, expressing their unbridled yearning in a hungry demonstration.

His hands teased her by slowly trailing up her thigh and moving back the fabric of her dress. A heavy moan from his wife coaxed him further into his teasing. Breaking the passionate kiss, his lips moved to her exposed collar bone, tracing down towards her covered chest.

Amy breathlessly moaned, gripping tightly to his jacket. "Sonic..." She breathed out, growing increasingly impassioned.

"We'll have to continue this later." He whispered to her.

Letting out a tormented groan, she rested her head against his shoulder. "Must we?"

As much as he wanted to continue, they had to consider the unfortunate waiter who would have walked out of the elevator to see them getting frisky with one another. Not only that, edging both of them gradually to their late night activities would provide a bigger finale.

"C'mon, Amy. Tame yourself." He grinned as he gathered her in his arms and carried her back to her seat.

"Hmph, you were the one who started it." She pouted at him, crossing her arms in annoyance once she was placed back in her chair.

"Can't blame a guy for admiring his wife." He sniggered at her disapproving stare.

"You can only keep a girl tamed for so long, Sonic." She told him, staring back at him with a seductive look on her face.

His grin stretched across his face. "I'll have you goin' wild by the end of the night."

Immersed in their flirting, the pair hardly noticed the waiter returning with their meals and drinks. "One lemon brined roast chicken." He said as he placed Amy's dish in front of her. "And one steak frites, with extra frites." Sonic's meal was placed before him. Early placed the drinks onto the table and took a step back. "Will there be anything else?"

"The rest of the meal?" Sonic said under his breath, referring to the portion size. Amy kicked the blue hedgehog beneath the table.

"That'll be all, thank you." Amy answered the waiter, smiling brightly at the man.

Bowing his head, Earl left the couple to their meal. "Please, enjoy." He said before walking away.

Waiting for the man to leave, Amy turned back to Sonic and frowned at him. "You just can't help yourself, can you?"

"Scold me all you want, but you're glad I got extra fries."

"Frites."

"Shut up and eat your fries." He smirked, throwing a fry at the pink hedgehog.

"Hey!" She laughed, repeating his actions. Laughing hysterically to their playful antics, the pair shortly quietened down and enjoyed their meals, with the promise of filling their stomachs properly once their time at Aroma was over.

* * *

Sat on the hood of the car, Sonic and Amy gazed down at the nightlife of Central City from a lookout point from the hilltops outside of the city. Between them sat a box full of cinnamon sticks with small pots of chocolate and icing. As anticipated, their meals had satisfied their eyes, rather than their stomachs. Even though they enjoyed the overall experience, Sonic was grateful to not have paid to be hungry.

"Isn't it a little unjustified that a six rings, box of fried dough is more satisfying than the one hundred and twelve rings that meal would'a cost?" Sonic asked, taking a bite of his chocolate covered cinnamon stick.

"It is a little... But you have to consider the art work that goes into making the dish."

"Easy for you to say when you weren't paying."

Amy slowly turned her sight away from the view and glared at her husband. "You didn't pay either..."

"I paid with my life after saving Orson."

"True." She giggled faintly, nudging his arm gently. "Thank you for sacrificing yourself for the perfect date."

"Don't say I don't do anything for ya." He winked playfully.

She gave him a daring look, a smug smirk lacing her feminine lips. "You do absolutely nothing for me." Her comment resulted in a chocolatey assault via Sonic and his cinnamon stick. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" She shrieked with laughter, swatting her husband away from her. Successfully getting Sonic to cease his sweet attack, Amy's laughter slowly subsided. "But seriously, I'm really grateful for everything you've done for me tonight, Sonic. No one's ever made me feel so special before."

"You are special." He said sincerely, turning to the pink woman with a now solemn expression. "I know there were times I could've done better. Especially this past week, but I do care about you, a lot." He looked away from her and back at the view, hoping to hide his blush in the dark. "Just so you know..."

Was that his way of telling her that he loved her? If not love, then something close to it?

Surely if he loved her, he would have her best intentions in mind when it came to sex. He would sleep with her because he loved her, not just to fulfill his fantasies.

There was only way to find out.

Brushing her hand up and down his arm, Amy stared fondly at his suit jacket and flirtatiously giggled.

"What is it?" Sonic turned back to her curiously, looking down at her touchy hand and then back at her.

"Oh nothing..." She trailed off. "I was just thinking how good your outfit will look on my bedroom floor." She smirked, slowly bringing her eyes up to meet his own.

He gawped at her momentarily before a cocky smirk slowly formed on his face.

* * *

The door to her house swung open forcefully as the lust-stricken couple barged their way in, amorously locked in a heated kiss. Slamming the door carelessly behind him, Sonic pushed his lover against the wall and roamed her body longingly.

Amatory sounds of satisfaction emitted from the couple, unleashing the held back restraints from hours prior. He groped her hips, occasionally caressing around her entire midsection and travelling down to her thighs. Amy responded by removing his bow tie, slipping it off his neck before moving her hands to caress his back quills.

He brought her body against him, causing them to moan in unison, breaking their lustful kiss. He moved in close to her once more, bringing his lips inches from hers, when she stopped him with her hand pressed lightly against his chest.

"I've never done this before." She breathed out, gazing back at him in a haze.

Sonic blinked, not fully understanding what she meant. He was pretty sure they had done _this_ multiple times. "What?"

She simpered, looking down coyly in her embarrassment. "I'm still a virgin." She looked back at him, unable to hold back her nervous laughter once she saw his bewildered expression. "I know it may seem unbelievable, what with all the fetishes I talk about, but I've always wanted to save myself for someone who truly loves me... And who I love." Seeing him leaning away from her filled her with unease. "You know how I feel for you... Do you feel the same way?"

Now he understood why she had always deterred away from the possibility to sleep with him. Was this the right way to tell him though? She had been hinting, instigating, and flirting all night. Now, when they were moments away from carnal bliss, she sprang this attack on him? He was given mere seconds to either declare his love for her and be the first guy to receive the goddess's blessing, or be honest and admit he wasn't at that level and end the night on a cold, bitter note.

Though now that he was given such seconds to evaluate everything, the question was worth a thought or two. Didn't he love her? There was no denying the attraction, the sexual chemistry and tension and he cared for her a lot. In all honesty, this month had been the best few weeks he had ever had. He still didn't want it to end. He still wanted to continue waking up beside her, holding her close, enjoy pass time with her. More specifically, he didn't want to lose her loving. Her type of loving was more than enough to keep him yearning.

... Did he love her?

It was a possibility. A high possibility. He didn't exactly have the time to fully evaluate it right now, but hey, he liked her. That was enough for now, surely?

"... Yeah..." He said vaguely, mentally scolding himself for sounding so unconvincing. "I-I do." He sighed, fixing his demeanour to appear as genuine as possible. "I love you."

She gazed into his eyes, instantly seeing his dilation of his pupils. That could mean two things; one, he was lying. Or two, he was in fact in love with her.

Now, she would have easily sided with option number two, had his eyes not dilated **immediately** after he spoke such love words. And so, she had her answer. He had looked into her eyes and declared the words she had always wanted to hear from him... In order to sleep with her.

Still, there was no turning back now.

She smiled brightly in a forced delight. "I love you too, Sonic." She told him before crushing her lips firmly onto his. Her love being overpowered by her aggression. This did not concern her lover however. She pulled away from him and smiled seductively. "Conquer me."

This was it. The moment he had dreamed about countless times. To ravish the goddess of his dreams and bring down heaven's temple.

He intended to shake the heavens in thunderous glory.

* * *

Wild were the characteristics of the rugged beast. With razor sharp talons that bore into the ground in every stride, unkempt fur, and piercing emerald eyes scouting the area, the brute was on the hunt. Following the trail of the fruity scent to find his goddess. Appetite ravenous and unquenched left him staggering the lands for her. Only she could deliver such satisfaction and quieten the rumbling within.

He snarled, calling out to the deity. His signals echoed through the dense vines within her neatly kept garden. Again, he dug his claws into the sacred soil, rattling the vines around him subsequently. He breathed in the fragrance of the oversized strawberries, his appetite only grew, making him growl out of frustration.

Hearing the sounds of light footing behind him, the beast turned to the source, finding his beloved goddess standing there. Virtuous she was, engulfed in a radiant aura around her bare form. One that commanded worship at first gaze.

She smiled at him. A smile filled with a hidden pain. She swayed over to her disciple, greeting him by resting her forehead against his.

The brute grunted in desperation, grovelling before her to give him the fruit of her garden. He nudged her eagerly towards her bountiful harvest, his neediness resembling that of a demanding child.

Giving into his petulance, the goddess reached up for the richest strawberry and placed it in his hands. In his haste, he had skipped over his gratitude to the deity and feasted on her delectable berry, ferociously and untamed.

The vines around them rattled and vibrated, glowing a fluorescent red in response to his voracious appetite. And though pleased was the owner of such produce, she smiled only meekly to his vigour, masking the emptiness of her pleasure.

His attention was inflamed by the sweet juices of the fruit, an unforgettably irresistible flavour that had become an undeniable substance of addiction. His fang bore in deep and shredded the berry, the juice of the strawberry falling down into his throat, soaking every taste bud with the exquisite candy.

The effects of the fruit doused his mind with images that left him stunned, stopping him in his devouring. Images of his goddess, though undoubtedly more youthful flashed before his eyes in an animated sequence that passed faster than his feet. A familiar face was within the memories. A young boy, blue pelted like his own. They ran together. Him in front, looking back at her and the girl not too far behind. They were laughing together, enjoying what could be perceived as a game of tag.

The memory ended abruptly, causing the brute to shake his head. A side effect to the berry?

The goddess watched in fascination. How he had fell into a state of brief paralysis in the midst of his wild feasting. Had her sublime produce triggered a potential stirring within him?

If so, she was curious to see his reaction to the rest of the journey.

Reaching into the vibrating vines, she pulled down a concealed red rose. Gently, she drew back the petals to see the veiled treasure hidden in the centre. With a smile, she held the rose gingerly and beckoned the beast to follow her, leading him to the velvety, red drapes at the back of the garden.

Enticed, the beast followed his goddess, stepping through the drapes and finding the everlasting staircase leading to the pearly gates to paradise. He grunted, overwhelmed by the lengthy trek it would be to the top. Still, a glimmer of determination brought a shine to his eyes. The journey was just another part of the adventure.

She guided the way for him, treading slowly up each step. Occasionally, she would look back at him, watching him intensely before turning back and focusing on the hike. His vision still in tact... She was beginning to doubt her own sight.

Her sights were however more intact than his vision. The further he ventured, the more he was tormented by the incessant images in his mind. All memories of his goddess and the familiar male taking control of his perception made him sluggish. He growled impatiently, attempting to wipe the reminiscence from his eyes. But like a drug, the loving fruit of his goddess had spread throughout his body. First tempting his tongue, overpowered his mind, riddled his eyesight, and lastly, attacked his heart.

The beast collapsed on the stairs, panting heavily and grunting excessively in agony. The juices of her berry reacted like poison, gripping onto his nerves and tainting his bloodstream. Carrying her essence to the desired location.

Stopping a few steps a head of him, the goddess stared down at the anguished worshipper, though concerned, she stayed in position, torturously enduring the scene to see what would become of him.

Her disciple reached out his brutish hand to her, begging for her grace to save him from the intolerable affliction. Her hopelessness bringing tears to his eyes. This sight scorned her, weakening her stony position. Too ached by his plea, she forced herself to look away and allow the poison to end his imprisonment.

The beast howled to the goddess, betrayal bringing on a further heartache. His goddess turning away from him completed the final stage of the taint. In his last breath, he let out a mighty roar, before falling against the marble stairs, his movement becoming still.

Cautiously, the goddess took heedful steps towards the remains, awaiting something, anything to happen. She became more anxious the closer she got to him. He was still. Lifeless. What had she done?

She fell beside him, bearing a mournful cry. A world without the love she had always known, she was lost, undefended... Alone. The love war between siren and beast had ended with no victory.

But for a new form of love to take it's place.

Wrapped in a dark aura, the beast began to change. His brawny body transforming to one more slim and lean. The lusciously unkempt fur shortened in length and lightened in colour. The rugged brute was no more and in his place, came the man who she had love beneath the beast all along.

Grunting, the hero looked down at his gloveless hands, staring in awe to the sudden, dramatic change in size. His gaze moved to rest of him, witnessing the bare flesh that was himself. He gasped, amazed yet puzzled to be in his true form. It brought a sense of vulnerability, to be exposed for who he truly was.

"Sonic..." The feminine voice spoke, grasping his attention. The blue male span to the woman beside him, alarmed momentarily, then instantly relaxing to see her.

She brought her hands to his face, feeling the softness of his skin. It was really him in front of her, with her on the journey to paradise.

The couple laughed, rejoicing in their reunion. Holding one another dearly, they celebrated with a sweet kiss. Affectionate and delicate, one not carried by lust, but of devotion.

Breaking their kiss, the couple smiled at one another, contently resting their foreheads against each other. Together, they would continue the journey to the heavenly realm, and become one.

Sonic took his lover into his arms, smirking at her as his way to warn her of his next move. Understanding that particular smile, Amy wrapped her arms around his neck and clinged to him tightly. With her arms secured around him, he bolted up the steps towards the gates within moments.

Coming to a harsh halt in front of the pearly gates, the hero placed the girl on the floor and stepped in front of the gate. He placed his hands on the bars, looking through the spaces between, at the pearl temple in the distance. The moment was here. The inevitable, the long desire. Finally, she was going to be his.

He pushed on the gate, only to realise the gates were locked. Looking down at the padlock that prevented him from the temple, Sonic shook the gates violently in an effort to open them.

"Ahem." His lover cleared her throat.

Turning back to the woman, he saw her holding up a rose towards him. Curious, he took the rose from her, looking puzzled by the gift. She gestured for him to move the petals, to which he obeyed. A small key sat in the midst of the petals. The key to paradise.

As she smiled at him, she faded from his vision. Alarmed, Sonic waved his hand over her fading body, horrified to see her vanish before him. Instincts told him she was in the temple. Not wasting another second, Sonic turned towards the gate and unlocked the gateway to paradise.

Rushing through the open gates and into the temple, Sonic ceased his running upon spotting his beloved waiting for him. She was lead on a pedestal, bathed in a dim light. The woman smiled seductively at him, awaiting for him to join her.

The hero took a deep breath, taking a moment to gather his thoughts. Years of anticipation brought a sizeable amount of expectation. He had depicted this scene so often in his mind, the reality couldn't be anything less.

And it wasn't just for his sake. Taking her virginity came with an immense amount of pressure. He had to be worthy of such virtue. He had to be outstanding.

Another deep breath was taken, braving the course towards the waiting woman. This would take more than his lust to take control of and assist, he was to show her his true emotion, through the sacred motion.

And yet, knowing she would be with him through this new take on the passionate journey, his confidence began to gradually return.

His lover faintly giggled as he towered over her, welcoming him with a tender kiss as he gently moved her onto her back. The comforting smell of her fragrance relaxed him into the kiss, bringing on the heat of his passion.

She moaned approvingly, securing her arms around his neck and bringing her knees to brush against his thighs. Her movements had brought their arousals inches apart, writhing their pulsating nerves. He dared not to rush the moment. If he had learnt anything, The more he played, the better the results.

Though his stirrings could not be tamed. Channeling his desires into her own satisfaction, the blue male deepened the kiss, his galavant hands moving up her toned stomach and laying on her breasts. They caressed the pair in a delicate fashion, progressively becoming more vivacious with her pleasured sounds. He could sense her intolerance ebbing with every sound becoming louder, her body arching beneath him. Grunting in his satisfaction, he moved his lips away from hers and onto her bust.

As foreseen, her sounds became louder, more plentiful.

The ceiling above trembled, a piece of rubble falling onto the ground nearby. Ah, the rumbling... Also foreseen.

Pulling away from her chest, he brought his lips back onto hers, sharing a brief, hungered kiss. As he pulled away, the couple smiled at one another and brought their hands into a love lock.

"I love you." He said, sounding more genuine than he had previously.

Not expecting the love words, Amy gasped gently. "I love you too." She smiled sincerely, her heart fluttering with delight.

Hoping to distract her from any discomfort she may come to feel, Sonic kissed her amorously while he guided himself into her. Her grip around his neck tightened as she braced herself for the moment they had both been longing for. She forced herself to focus on the kiss, reassuring her body to relax as much as possible.

Another tremble came from the ceiling above, bringing down minor amounts of dust. The walls too threatening to come down.

The kiss was spontaneously broken by her beloved as he grunted in pleasure. Before she had realised it, he had taken her virtue painlessly.

Their eyes met, studying each other for any signs of pain. Instead, they both smiled, reassuring one another while exchanging softened expression of affection.

Confident in knowing she was okay, he moved in her, being wary of his own speed and vigour. He relied on her own movements and sounds to instruct his following motion. Seeing the ecstasy take control of her and make her smile stirred his repression, proceeding to make him move faster.

The tremors were getting stronger, bringing the dust and debris down from above. With every sound from the woman becoming progressively louder, the temple shook. The couple however had failed to notice, too enthralled in the bliss. Their lips locked once more, needy and impassioned to match their movements.

The position switched, the pink woman taking control on top of his. Unleashing the pent up tension from her restraint in the restaurant, she bucked animatedly. Bringing her hands onto his chest, she caressed the area, yearning to feel every bit of him. Her sounds were getting louder, higher, and ceaseless, bringing the walls around them to quake.

Again came another switch.

He brought her down onto her stomach against the marble pedestal and towered over her once more. His movements repeated their brisk motion, his hands gripping onto her hips and bringing her onto him with every thrust. Captivated by her heated arousal, he remained blissfully unaware of the collapsing temple around them.

Her moans burning his ears, the frequency and volume was enough to damage his hearing, but to hear her voicing her gratification gave him too much satisfaction to want her to stop.

Switch.

He carefully grabbed her and moved onto his knees, bringing her back to rest against his chest as he thrusted into her once more. With one arm, he supported her against him, the other travelled further down to her arousal and gave her womanhood more attention.

Her moans turned to screams.

The walls around them crumbled, crashing down around them. The destruction of the temple couldn't sway them out of their intimate embrace. Leaning back against her lover, Amy brought her lips onto his in an aggressive, ferocious kiss. With every violent tremor around them, her end drew near. She gripped onto his arm, hurrying her motion in her eagerness to release.

Responding to her eagerness, her lover grabbed her hips and forced her down onto him, providing the ferocity she needed to reach her climax, subsequently bringing on his own end. His nails bore into her hips as he was overcome by the pleasure. Feeling his essence transfer to her, he groaned against her neck.

Wrapping her arm behind his head, she gripped onto his one of his quills as her body trembled. The waves serged up her spine and then cascading back down throughout her nervous system. She bit her lip as the sensation rippled within, emitting small whimpers to the intensity.

The ceiling above crashed into the ground around them, forcing the couple to look around at the destruction at long last. Looking at each with sheepish smiles, the couple soon laughed at the results of their love making. Shaking off the mild guilt, they shared a final laboured kiss before lying back against the pedestal.

* * *

Panting softly in the wake of their night activities, the couple cuddled together in unified exhaustion and satisfaction. With Amy resting against his chest, Sonic wrapped his arm around her back.

He was astounded. How someone with no experience in the particular act had the endurance and livelihood of sexually explored individual. He would go as far as to say she was probably the best sex he ever had. Though as he thought about it, he speculated that had more to do with his own emotions, rather than the act itself.

He was in the moment, completely immersed in her, in their movements, in her touch, smell, sounds, taste and view of her. And while he felt lustful, his mind practically exploded to the realisation of how he really felt for her became apparent. He was in love. Deeply. And the more he thought of that realisation, the more he was beginning to consider that maybe these emotions had always been within him. Just simply secluded away, behind his love for freedom.

There was no doubt she was a priority over his liberty.

Seeing the girl moving herself upward, Sonic turned to her to meet her puckering lips, kissing her affectionately. "How's the first timer coping?" He teased her, grinning back at her.

"Very well I'd say. Given that kind of performance was enough to shake the knees, I'm okay." She smiled.

"Pretty sure the bed couldn't say the same thing." He said, looking down to the small dip in the bed as a result of two broken bed panels. "Sorry 'bout that."

"Eh, it was pretty old anyway. It's a nice way to remember my first time too." She giggled.

Sonic joined in on her laughter. "I guess so." He sighed contently and rubbed her back tenderly. "We should do this again." He smirked.

Lifting her head to look at him, a serious expression took over her features. "As friends... Or...?"

"Friends." He held the same serious expression, holding back his laughter. Seeing her mortified face soon made him regret his joke. "Just kidding." He smiled nervously. A panicked laughter escaped him as she lifted her hand to slap him. "But seriously, if this is what being your husband's like, sign me up."

"Really?!" She gasped, smiling brightly with excitement.

"Yeah. Though don't expect a ring anytime soon. We'll need like a twenty year trial first."

"That's good enough for me. I've waited fourteen years for you, I'll wait another twenty."

Smiling at her dedication, Sonic pecked her lips and pulled her closer. He was about to place another kiss on her lips when he remembered his communicator on the ground below. "Oh! I better check for alerts." He told his wife, moving himself away from her to grab his communicator.

"I didn't hear any alerts." Amy raised her eyebrow.

"I put it on mute. Didn't want anything ruining our date." He grinned bashfully.

"Aw that's so sweet." Amy gushed.

"It is... Until I find out Eggman destroyed the city while I was doing you." He chuckled, activating his communicator and looking through his notifications. "Oh geez, Tails called me five times... Must have been pretty serious."

"Did you wanna go find out?"

"Nah, all good." He reassured her, showing her the message Tails had sent after the five missed calls. "He wants both of us to head over to the workshop tomorrow afternoon. Probably wants to go through the end of the trial thing."

"He's not gonna be happy if he finds out we broke sex part of the deal." Amy smiled mischievously.

"Who says he needs to find out?" He questioned, smirking at the pink hedgehog before placing the communicator down and kissing her tenderly. He pulled away from her, flashing a seductive gaze. "D'ya wanna be my dirty little secret again?"

Amy slowly returned his gaze. "I can't guarantee I'll keep quiet enough to keep it a secret, but it'll be pretty dirty."

Tantalised by her suggestive talk, Sonic scooped the girl into his arms and carried her out of the bedroom, expressing their love in another thundering, destructive performance.


	8. Mistakes were Made

Chapter Eight: Mistakes were Made

Introducing another summer morning, the dawn gradually brought the sun. With the dawn, Amy was roused from her sleep. One eye opened sluggishly, looking towards the rays of light peaking through her closed, navy curtains. As much as she wanted to remain in bed, she had her pill to take. Without that tablet, there would be a chance of more early mornings, waking up to the sounds of a screaming infant, rather than a serene dawn.

She attempted to get up from the creaking bed. Their low quality efforts to mend the broken bed panels had caused every movement to be a raucous. The last thing she wanted was to wake her sleeping husband. He probably had enough of her waking him up so early, every morning.

Unfortunately, her attempts hadn't been successful. As she sat up, the bed creaked loudly, sounding her escape to the blue hero beside her. He opened an eye and peered up at her, groaning in disapproval to her unwanted alarm.

"Ames. You don't need to paint your face..." He told her, his morning husky voice in full effect. He grabbed her hand to prevent her from leaving.

Annoyed at herself for waking him, Amy sighed and looked back at her lover. "Sorry, but I have to take my contraception."

He gawped at her, rather drowsy in his morning fatigue, yet nonplussed by the fact. "You're on birth control?"

"Yes. I started it yesterday, just incase last night happened... Which it did." She giggled briefly before giving him a false, playful scowl. "Not that you thought about wearing protection. I'm starting to think there's a bunch of little Sonics out there."

Chuckling softly, Sonic sat up beside her. "I didn't plan on last night happenin'. You were the one who couldn't resist me. I simply gave you what you most desired." He grinned. "And for the record, I'm usually careful. You just bring out the worst in me."

"So it's my fault?" She asked in a humourous tone.

"Absolutely." He nodded, laughing alongside the pink woman. "So, uh, out of curiosity. What happens if you don't take your pill around this time? Can't you take it later?"

"If I don't take it now, yesterday's pill will be ineffective and we'll possibly have a baby hedgehog running around."

A devious smile creeped onto Sonic's face, making Amy feel slight unease. In a dash, Sonic grabbed the girl and pinned her onto the bed.

"Sonic!" She shrieked, laughing in amusement to his mischief. "What are you doing?"

"I'm curious to know what our baby will look like." He smirked.

Her laughter came to an immediate end as she gazed up at her husband and furrowed her eyebrows to express her uncertainty. "You're joking, aren't you?"

Of course he was... Partially. It couldn't be explained. He had always been certain of his stance on parenthood. That having children would only hold him back and strip him of his beloved freedom. But that had also been his opinion on a relationship.

And he had been wrong. His freedom hadn't been stripped away, it had been altered. He was no longer on a solo track in his adventures, she was right beside him, enjoying the ride and cheering him on. She had opened the doors to a whole new way of life, giving him a refreshed look on his aspects.

When you love the right person, it would set you free.

Perhaps children wouldn't provide the exact same kind of liberation, but with her as the mother to his child(ren), parenthood could just be another part of their adventure.

"Sonic..." Amy said in bemusement. "We're just about to start the plans for the academy. We've only just established our relationship... We can't add a baby into the mix... Not right now anyway."

When she put it that way, maybe he was too tired and too madly in love to be making such life changing decisions.

Moving off of his wife, Sonic smiled bashfully, acknowledging his overzealous thought process. "True... But still, just imagine it for a second." He told her, pulling her into his arms and resting his head on her shoulder. "A little Sonic or Amy, in one of those basket thingies, getting all excited to see us, their parents. We'll be everything they have. A happy mum and dad that love them as much as they love each other." He smiled at his own imagination fabricating a little baby in a bassinet in front of them, kicking it's little legs in the air.

Amy turned her head towards him, falling in love all over again with the man behind her. "I've imagined that scenario so many times. I just never thought it would come true."

"It can." He smiled at her. "But maybe in future." He released her from his grasp.

Amy nodded hesitantly, his description of their child leaving her feeling broody. She had to reprimand herself for second guessing her decision to take the pill. As much as they both were in love with the dream, that dream would have to wait.

Finally getting up from the bed, Amy made her way to the bathroom. She was surprised to hear the bed creaking behind her and witness her lover following her. "Aren't you gonna go back to sleep?"

He shook his head. "Thanks to _you_ , I'm now fully awake. And since I'm up, I might as well find out Amy Rose's morning routine."

She exhaled a quickened breath. "Are you sure you wanna know?" She smiled sheepishly.

"Sure. How bad could it be?"

The pink hedgehog giggled nervously as a response, turning away from her husband and carrying on her travel to the bathroom. Though mildly puzzled by her nervous reaction, Sonic shrugged to himself and followed shortly behind, awaiting to learn the preparation that went into the appearance of his goddess.

* * *

"It's ridiculous and you know it." Sonic said as a matter of factly.

On their way to Tails's workshop, the topic of Amy's elaborate routine came up for the second time that day. After seeing the full extent of her beauty regime, Sonic was left astonished, if not a little humbled by her efforts. She put a lot into being the flawless angel that she was.

But such strive for perfection couldn't be good for her. This was an every morning thing; the workouts, the waist training, the magnifying of short hairs. It was excessive. Rather concerning.

Why was it concerning? Because she went through this for him! What a jerk he felt for not even noticing the full extent of her work. As he had previously stated, her standards were unnecessary. His love for her ran deeper than looks... Now.

Okay, maybe he partially understood why she was so obsessed with looking immaculate.

"You like the way I look, don't you?" She asked from the passenger's seat.

Sonic hesitated to answer, keeping sharp focus on the road ahead. "Well, yeah... But that's not my point."

"But it is my point. Looking like this doesn't just happen overnight. It has to be maintained."

"I get that. But do you really need to have _every strand of hair_ aligned? Do you _really_ need to strap your ribs into a torture device? Do you seriously have to do **two** workouts in the morning?" He questioned her.

She pouted at him. "You think I'm being obsessive?" Her tone sounding highly offended.

"No... No, I didn't say that." He chuckled nervously, not wanting to get her worked up whilst he was driving. "Maybe a little hypercritical of yourself."

"So you'd prefer if I let myself go? Get to the size of Eggman and just forget about my appearance?" She raised her eyebrow at him, already knowing his answer.

Sonic rolled his eyes and sighed at her. Being close to the workshop, the hedgehog held back his answer and parked outside before he turned to her and gave her his full attention. "Ames, I want you to be happy with your appearance. Stop all the fuss you to put into looking perfect. Like, yeah, exercise to stay healthy and all, and get dolled up whenever you like, but you don't have to be so... over scrupulous in every single detail. You're beautiful. Why can't you see that?"

She looked down at her skirt and twiddled the fabric in her fingers meekly. "You know what they say. You are your own biggest critic."

Smiling fondly at his self conscious lover, he placed his hand over hers, bringing her attention back to him. "Well you can consider me your biggest fan." He said, leaning towards her and kissing her affectionately.

Enamoured by her lover's reassurance, Amy graciously returned his kiss, brushing her lips delicately against his. A gentle yet effectively intimate token of adoration blanketing a wave of warmth over her lips. The warming feeling would leave an everlasting marking on her. Forever branded as his beloved.

His lips left hers, forming a smile for her. "I love you." He spoke softly.

Sighing hopelessly in love, Amy smiled back at the hero. "I love you too."

With another gentle squeeze of her hand, the blue hedgehog opened his door. "Come on, Tails is probably waiting for us."

Before he could turn around and get out of his car, his wife cupped his face and firmly pressed her lips against his in a more heated kiss than previous. The spontaneously fervour of her passion leaving him powerless to pull away. Falling into her luring intensity, he wrapped his arms around her and returned as much avidity she was expressing.

Amy moaned against his lips in response to his lustful heat, feeling the overpowering haze masking her judgement. In her growing desire, her unhurried hand drifted from his face and began to aim progressively lower until reaching her desired organ.

Breaking the kiss abruptly, Sonic smirked back at his wife. "Down, girl." He playfully scolded her. They had made Tails wait long enough.

Acknowledging his playfulness, Amy purred flirtatiously, giggling in the same manner as she followed her husband out of the car. Taking his hand, the pair walked into the workshop to find all of their friends standing around, waiting for them.

Any form of chatter was brought to a deathly silence as the couple made their entrance. As hunting predators scanned their prey, their eyes fell on the pink hedgehog, a mixture of expressions aimed at her; concern, anger, and disappointment.

The tension was that of a thick smog. The choking effects stabbing Amy directly in her chest and sprouting seeds of enriched anxiety. With wary eyes, she scanned the workshop at her friends, taking in every Individual look. They were all still staring, no matter the dubiously doe look she gave back. Such a piercing, judging gaze from the likes of Knuckles, more sympathetic, though undoubtedly angst looks from Cream and Rouge. And Tails, while more composed than the rest, lay a deep rooted despondency towards her.

They were all judges, and she, the offender.

A shaky breath was exhaled from her in a bid to ease her anxious heart. The more she looked around at her peers, the more colossal they became to her. She tried to shake off the paranoia, thinking she was just seeing things and her own insecurities from her deplorable actions were playing with her. But the more she looked at them, the more clear their displeasure could be seen.

Then she noticed the one person she had missed in her observation. The one she had hoped to not see present amongst the group.

Against the wall, a few metres away from the entrance, was Shadow. His eyes remained shut, drowning out the world around him.

His presence caused the anxiety to grow profusely, hammering her heart into her chest rapidly. Why was he here? In fact, why had any of them shown up? Why were they gathering in the workshop with heavy hearts?

That was when she pieced all the findings together. Word had spread of her actions and now, they had come to condemn her.

And Sonic was still none the wiser to any of it. "Hey, Buddy." Sonic greeted his best friend, offering a brotherly hug to the fox. "Didn't mean to keep you waiting." He said, looking around the room at all his friends. "Looks like the whole gang's here."

"Uh, yeah..." Tails responded in a somewhat awkward tone. "We were all curious as to how the trial went. If there were any... concerns that needed to be brought up?" The fox's eye flashed towards the pink hedgehog beside him before focusing back on his brother.

"Not that I know of..." Sonic said, looking towards Amy to see her reaction. Trying to hold back her nervousness while forcing a smile on her face, she nodded rapidly. A sign of her anxiety tearing through her facade.

Holding an expressionless look, Tails nodded. "So I guess that brings us to the big question. Are you two compatible as a couple?"

Too wrapped up in his own euphoria, Sonic failed to notice the hazardous tension in the air and the prying eyes of their friends. "I guess I'll go first. This whole thing been quite a game changer for me after all." He rubbed beneath his nose bashfully and turned to his lover. "Ames, I gotta admit, when I got into this, I didn't expect it to turn out anything like it has. It's been the best _,_ and as you already know, it's not gonna end anytime soon." He grinned through his nerve inducing declaration.

His friends looked around at one another, expressing their empathy for the oblivious, love-stricken blue leader.

"I'm not gonna say it, what with my reputation to uphold, but yeah, I think we're compatible." He said, smiling at his wife. She smiled an unconvincing smile, her anxiety showing too much unease to remain unnoticed.

Eyes falling back onto the flustered woman, Tails asked her the same question. "And you, Amy? Do you feel you are compatible with Sonic? Do you think you can have a strong relationship, built on... honesty and truth?"

Amy looked up at the penetrative stare of the young man, feeling him ripping through all layers of defence and peering into her soul, ready to smite her with a detrimental retribution.

Her stomach roiled a tornado in her discomposed condition. Looking to her husband, she could see his confused, yet concerned expression. The guilt grew tremendously, triggering severe nausea.

She began to hyperventilate under the circumstances, walking backwards towards the exit. "I-I- I need some air." She insisted. In her attempt to turn around, she had bumped into Knuckles. She instantly backed away from him as his scornful gaze left her petrified. As she walked back, away from the piqued echidna, she found herself bumping into Tails. She jumped with a shriek, immediately turning to face him.

"Hey." He said soothingly, holding both her shoulders gently to comfort her. "It's okay, it's okay."

His solace granted the relief she craved in her distress. His comfort was kindred. While his disappointment was undeniable, he provided the support she needed to face the ruction.

Unable to withstand the powerful emotions, the woman rested her heavy head against her friend's chest and cried against him.

Tails rubbed her back gingerly, hushing her growing sobs. "Don't worry. You made a mistake. Mistakes happen all the time." He told her calmly. For a brief moment, he watched as the worried Sonic walked over to them before looking down at the pink hedgehog. "But you know any relationship can't thrive on a foundation of lies. And it's better for him to know now, rather than later." He gently moved the girl to arm length, giving her a sorrowful, apologetic look. "Because if you don't tell him... I will."

She stepped away from him, shaken by his ultimatum. With her husband now approaching her side, Amy attempted to compose herself to face him. "I'm so sorry." She sobbed. Her head hung low, too disgraced to hold her gaze.

"Ames. What's happened?" He asked. He rested his hands on her arms, trying to console the emotional woman. She whimpered, lowering her head further in her shame. His eyes wondered around the room, now observing the stares from their friends. Still holding strained expressions. He was beginning to sense they knew something he didn't.

Feeling the unease hit him in the chest, Sonic breathed out his growing angst and continued to provide easement to his lover. "It's okay, Amy. You can tell me..." He told her. With the stares and tension throughout the workshop, he dreaded her response.

With a heavy heart, Amy forced herself to look back at her husband. Her quivering lips and air- restricted chest resulted in stuttered words. "I-I..." She breathed out heavily, forcing herself to look up at him. The vulnerability in his eyes humbled her words. "I... cheated."

Her quietened, feeble words manifested into piercing, glacial shards, hurtling towards him and successfully penetrating a mighty blow to his unexpecting heart. The excruciating throbs of bone chilling blades resounded through his body, an inner storm rendering every nerve.

"What?" Sonic gasped, stepping back from her. The sundering pain clenched firmly around his chest, making him breath rapidly.

Denial told him this had to be a joke. That the guys were just fooling him and that Amy would never do such a thing to him. Not his Amy, not his beloved.

He chuckled in disbelief, a coping mechanism in an endeavour to minimise the shock. "Alright, you got me." He laughed in a subdued tone. "Good one."

The guilt began to pang at her heart as she witnessed her lover go into denial as a result to the emotional trauma she had caused him. She fixated her sights on the floor, her tears dropping onto the tiles beneath her feet.

He turned to her, watching her reaction. How she didn't dare to raise her head, shamefacedly. She faint sobs and unrelenting tears were the regrettably irrefutable fact that this reality was no laughing matter. She really had betrayed him.

And he fought that fact, continuing to persuade himself that she loved him too much to stray. In his distress, Sonic walked back to his wife and brought both hands to her cheeks, lifting her head to look at him. He sought validation from her, that his thoughts weren't lying to him, and she was in fact innocent. "I know you." He said, hush toned. "I know you wouldn't do that."

His eyes were dancing in fear, glazed over with held back tears. The more she was forced to look into his eyes, the more raw emotion she was exposed to. One particular emotion terrified her. The growing fires to his wrath.

The emotional suffering of her husband was too much to bear. Dropping her head once more, she whimpered with remorse. "I'm sorry."

He sealed his eyes shut tightly, inhaling deeply passed the searing pain in his chest. There was no denying it now, no matter how unbearable the truth was. "When?" He spoke sternly, letting go of her face and hiding his pain from the onlookers.

"Sonic-"

"When?!" Her deterrence from the question resulted in his impatient outburst. He turned back to face her, that deep rage slowly rising to the surface of his being. She became cautious in her answers, fearing all possible outcomes of the agonising situation.

Her head remained low. "... The barbecue..."

The pressure of his searing blood became close to bursting through his vessels. Her dishonour towards him was more fatal than he anticipated. For the day of the barbecue was a time they had spent with all their friends. Not only had she cheated on him, the person she had cheated with was one of his allies.

And they were with them right now, watching from a distance.

He ran a quick analysis in his mind. Including her orientation, the girls would be innocent. Knuckles? Given his scowling look of disdain held on his face, he was quite infuriated by Amy's audacity as much as he was. Tails? He could never suspect him. Not only because he was his little brother, but he was also hanging out with him the most at the get together.

Before he could even bring Shadow to mind, an alarming memory slapped him harshly with gruelling evidence.

When he had witnessed the ultimate lifeform leaving the kitchen and shared an awkwardly silent stare off with him. That glimmer of guilt he had seen in the man's eyes, right before he left the house and never returned.

... That faker touched his wife.

In silence, Sonic slowly turned to his rival, the fire in his eyes setting ablaze at the sight of him. His blood lusting eyes targeted the ultimate lifeform as he prowled towards him, becoming more hostile with every step.

Noticing her husband's approach towards his mighty rival, Amy desperately tried to stop him. "Sonic, please. Don't do this."

He ignored her calls and continued his pursuit. His friends faded from his perception, leaving only his target in view. His uncontrollable rage was to be unshackled on the man who had taken everything from him.

He was not going to hold back his animality.

Seeing the blue leader storming progressively faster towards him, Shadow pushed himself off the wall and began to walk towards him too.

"Guys..." Tails said cautiously, looking back and forth between the two mighty fighters. With Sonic's fury, and Shadow's unmatched power, their face off could lead to severe brutality.

The rival's span violently into sphere assaults, spiraling towards one another at deadly speed and colliding tempestuously. Breaking out of their spin dash attacks, Sonic swung a series of punches at the ultimate lifeform. Shadow succeeded in defending off his attack before swinging his own mighty fist at the hedgehog, striking the blue hero in his jaw. Sonic was projected across the workshop, scraping across the floor harshly.

Sonic immediately got back onto his feet and spin dashed back towards Shadow, breaking out of his spin dash in mid air and bringing down a devastating kick on his foe. Raising his arms to block the attack, Shadow's left arm took the brunt of the force. He grunted from the pain.

"Sonic!" Tails called out to the enraged hedgehog.

Engaged in a fierce brawl, the cries of his best friend were drowned out by the roaring flames smouldering his discernment. The rival's wrestled with unrestrained brutality. The blue hedgehog shrouded in a red mist and motivated to rip Shadow apart. Shadow however was holding back his strength. The blue rival's anger had been expected. In an attempt to lessen the hedgehog's rage, he provided him an outlet, releasing just enough of his temper to prevent his fury to be aimed at Amy.

With a roaring battle cry, Sonic kicked his enemy to the ground. Falling on his left arm, Shadow tried to get up, but the impact of the fall against his injured arm left him grunting from the sharp pain. The hostile hedgehog gave him little time to get up before jumping onto him and scuffled with him on the ground ruthlessly.

Coming to Shadow's aid, Amy yanked on Sonic's shoulder, attempting to pry him off. "Sonic, please! It's not his fault!" She cried. "It's was me! I came onto him!"

His ears perked up to this intricate detail. The truth was becoming more sinister as he was given pieces of the story. So Shadow hadn't made a move on his girl. Amy had deliberately solicited his rival.

She had been the one to advance on him.

" **Why**?!" He bellowed out, the temper in his voice shook her to her core, paralysing her on the spot.

His friends stood awestruck and relatively shaken by the leader's turmoil. The unrefined emotions spilling from him was an unaccustomed, grievous occurrence. One that left the group just as stunned as Amy.

Shaking with nerves, Amy slowly turned to the owner of the workshop. "Can you give us time to talk?" She asked him.

"Will you be okay?" He questioned. He knew Sonic would never lay a finger on the girl, but with the heavy breathing coming from his brother, it was difficult to decipher whether he was on the path to another outrage, or trying to calm himself down.

Amy nodded back at him. She too found Sonic's uncharacteristic anger to be unpredictable. She was scared, undeniably, but she had caused this. She deemed it was her responsibility to fix it and take whatever reaction Sonic gave her.

Nodding back at the pink woman, Tails lead the rest of the team outside. Shoving passed the blue hedgehog, Shadow looked back over his shoulder at his rival a final time before following the others. Clicking on the button to the shutter doors, Tails granted the couple some privacy. The shutter doors came across progressively, eventually leaving the couple alone within the workshop.

Watching as the torturously slow doors closed them in, Amy eventually mustered the courage to face her tousled, contempt husband. His eyes were focused on the floor, brows scornfully furrowed. Brooding in a tundra of mixed emotions.

* * *

_Opening the door to the appreciated coolness within her fridge, Amy pulled out a can of lemonade as requested by her beloved and quickly closed the door before making her way back towards the garden. A merry bounce in her step carried her back to her loving husband upon she would deliver satiation to and receive his cherished affection._

She _was walking on the clouds throughout paradise, enveloped in the vividness of a shining rainbow of colours. For she had been blessed with the love of her life and by his side, she had found her happiness._

And _she was ready. Ready to bite the apple and show him just how much he meant to her._

Yes _, she could just picture it now. As her fantasies had always pictured that moment; surrounded by candles, rose petals and romantic music, wrapped in ecstasy and enraptured by the love they had for one another._

She _squealed with delight at the erotical thought, eager to make those fantasies a reality._

But _she had sidetracked. Sonic was probably wondering where his drink had gotten._

_Opening the sliding door to her back garden, she was about to turn the corner and head to her lounging husband, when she overheard the conversation Sonic and his close friends were having._

_"Dude, you don't wanna know. Seriously, it would change the way you see her."_

She _moved back slightly and continued to listen. 'Change the way you see her'? ... Was he talking about her?_

_"Yeah, pretty freaky then... But other than sex, how is the relationship? You two been seeing through your differences? Working together? That kinda thing?"_

_Her stomach performed a somersault to the fox's questioning. The conversation was about their relationship and the trial. She was intrigued to know how he truly felt._

_"Yeah_ _, it's all good. Like I said, I can't find anything to complain about. The dates are more like missions; action packed and adventurous, we do our own things without pestering one another, and we just click, you know?"_

_Amy covered her mouth to prevent the desired squeal of happiness from coming out of her mouth. He said they clicked. That had to mean he had to see what they had as truly special. Oh, that hedgehog was such a romantic._ _..._

_"I guess I'm gonna miss it all once it's over."_

_His words slapped the smile off of her face and sprung a surge of fear and devastation. Over? Miss it all? What did he mean?_

_"What do you mean, 'once it's over'?"_

_"What? This can't go on forever. I've said from the start. Amy and I want different things. She wants an actual marriage, kids and the whole traditional shebang. I can't give her that."_

_"Hold up a sec. You agreed to go along with this trial, which by the way, you vowed to take one hundred percent seriously. Why would you sign up for something like this if you knew you weren't gonna give Amy a chance to begin with? For the love of Chaos, do not tell me you only signed up for this just to sleep with Amy?"_

_"Dude_ _! Chill out. By agreeing to the trial, I've been able to give Amy what she's always wanted from me, while I got what I wanted. It's an agreement where both of us win."_

_Her back slammed against the wall of her house, chest heaving from the ripping of her heart. He lied to her? Agreeing to her proposal under veiled intentions. All of this, everything they had done together, was nothing more than his stride to bed her, and once he got that, it was not to be spoken about again._

Ugh _. How could she not see it? For years, his gawking, the flirting, the provocative touching, it had never been out of love. He had just been lusting after her this whole time._

The _tears rolled down her cheeks in her sorrow, her world of colour and elation had crumbled before her, revealing the dark matter that was the emptiness of their relationship, opening the doors to that void she believed she had freed herself from._

Looking _to her left, she spotted the black and red opposite her, resting against the wall and facing straight ahead. His head moved slightly, turning slightly towards her and looking back at her. He too had heard everything. Through his expressionless face, was a hidden empathy for the heartbroken woman._

Shamed _by her naivety, Amy ran back into the house, away from her friends. She ran to the kitchen, fearing the sensation of nausea would bring her to be sick. The girl stopped over the sink, breathing_ _heavily to the potential retching of her stomach contents. Finding herself unable to release, she wept quietly, expelling the ache of her being._

_What a fool she was for believing anything she had with Sonic could be considered love. How stupid of her to believe, just for a second, that her dreams were coming true. She was not worth being loved. She wasn't good enough for that. Especially the love of Sonic The Hedgehog. Fourteen years had proven that. She was not worth anything._

Another _sever to the heart caused her to whimper. No matter what she did, how she presented herself, she was damaged goods. That was how they saw her, right? How she saw herself. Continuously striving for the perfect body, to be the astonishing fighter, the loving wife, it was nothing but a lie. She was not any of these things._

She _was nothing._

A _pathetic, naive little child._

The _gaping void that had been locked within grew with every hateful word, stirring the uncontrollable urge to seal it once again. The insatiable itch to feel desired, loved, worth something taking over her._

As _much as she despised her lover for using her and unearthing the darkness within, she needed him more than ever._ _She needed to feel, just for a second, worth it._

She _turned around. The sight of the ultimate lifeform stood before her startling her. "Are you okay?"_ _He asked, his silk touched voice consoling her effortlessly._

_Her eyes lay on him lecherously. The burning craving in full effect. The last piece of her dignity screamed through her consciousness, begging her to see sense, but driven by her insecure lust, anger aimed at her lover, and ravaging desperation, her dignity was escorted to the secluded depths of her mind._

_"... No. No I'm not." She said. Approaching the dark hedgehog coquettishly."Honestly, I'm not really feeling myself." Staring into his eyes enticingly as she wrapped her arms around his neck. " But now you're here, you can feel me instead." She smiled a beguiling smile, a mastered act of temptation._

_"What're you doing?" He grabbed her arms and ripped them off of him. He looked back into her enchanting eyes, the vulnerability underlay the lust. She was acting out of insecurity, her tenuous front just barely holding back her raw emotions._

_"Straying from the light, and onto the Shadow. I've always liked to get it on in the dark." She persisted, moving her hand up to the white fur on his chest and running her fingers through it._

_Her skilled hands massaged his chest, softening his objection. His hands gripped onto her arms progressively more reluctant than before, becoming slowly bewitched by her seduction. "You don't want to do this." He cautioned her._

_Amy giggled flirtatiously, removing her hand effortlessly from his grasp and moving it to his face. "But I know you do." She whispered before smashing her lips onto his._

_Her salacious kiss wrangled his self control, enthralling him within seconds. Lubricous and wild she became in her lust, unchaste hands roaming his body in her unquenchable greed. And he tried, Chaos he tried to stop himself from giving into her and taking advantage of her vulnerability, but the overpowering effects of her seduction left him succumbing to the weakness._

_He kissed her back. A fleeting moment of debility where he had regrettably crossed the line and had licentiously made out with the girl of another man._

_Breaking away from the pink female, Shadow turned away from her and wiped his mouth onto his gloved hand. He turned back to her, looking at her sullenly. "You're better than this." He told her sternly, trying to get the words through to her. "You are **worth** more than this."_

_He had successfully tore down her front, exposing the damaged girl beneath. She stepped away from him, the tears flowing down her face once more as she began to breakdown._

_Already getting too inappropriately close, Shadow kept his distance. "That faker may not see your worth, but throwing yourself onto the next man within radius won't make you feel whole again."_

_With her defenses down, his logic wounded her deeply. And with the wise words reviving her own thought processing and dignity, Amy stammered back, realising what she had done. She gasped, covering her mouth in shock. "Shadow..." She stepped towards him. "I'm so sorry-"_

_"Don't. Just don't." He stepped back towards the door. Doing more damage than good, he left the girl to her grief._

_As he exited the kitchen, he spotted the blue hedgehog walking towards him. His appearance had startled him, uncertain about the length of time he had been in audio range. Guilt washed over him. He believed the faker deserved to feel the wrath of the Rose, but revenge by infidelity was not the way._

_And unfortunately, he was now wretchedly apart of the adultery._

_He wasn't going to get in the way of the couple anymore than he already had. He walked away from Sonic and out the front door, leaving the barbecue with no intention of returning._

_The overbearing dread reaped her heart. Once again, she had sought cheap love to fill the void within, and just as before, she felt empty._

_Empty of love, full on fear and regret._

_What was she to do? She had betrayed her beloved! There was no going back from that. And Sonic? He would be devastated._

_"Ames..."_

_Her heart skipped a beat in her terror. How long had he been there? She quickly span to face her husband, smiling instinctively as a last minute cover up._

_"Oh, Sonic... H-how long have you been there?"_

_"Just for a second... You alright?"_

_So he hadn't heard her conversation with Shadow. Though that was hardly a victory for her. Knowing he was none the wiser, she had to protect him from the truth. No matter how he had lied to her, her disloyalty remained the most inexcusable action in their relationship._

_And knowing that she cheated with no other than his rival only made the whole thing more repugnant._

_So she would continue the lie, to save him from the betrayal._

_"Oh, me? Y-yeah, I'm fine. It's silly really. I was just thinking about how happy I am and got all there something you wanted?"_

_He must have sought her out to unveil his dark truth. That she meant nothing more than a quick fling to him. If he was to break up with her now and end the contract then and there, what about their friendship? They couldn't go back to what they were, not now. They had traveled too far out of the friendzone to go back to that stage._

_Heck, their friendship wouldn't last long if he found out about her kiss with Shadow._

_To her surprise, his arms trailed around her waist and pulled her into a loving embrace. "I want you." He told her. She felt him against her hair, delving into her long quills. He pulled her closer, squeezing her dearly as though in fear._

_Oh God she had truly messed up. He wasn't giving up on her. After everything he had said, he was still wanting her? Had he regretted what he had said about her? Was he still wanting to try and sleep with her?_

_It didn't matter. Even if he wanted to right his wrongs, she had already destroyed their relationship with her insecurities._

_Unleashing her unrelenting tears, Amy wrapped her arms around him and held him as tightly as he held her. "You've always had me. Always."_

* * *

The couple stood just metres away. A rather short distant minimising the severe thickness of the tension wall between them. Leaning back against one of his brother's desks, Sonic stood, arms crossed and faced down. His knuckles would clench and unclench rhythmically, fighting back his own blaring rage. This gesture only made Amy more wary around him. Seeing him having to soothe himself was a huge sign of just how angry he really was.

It was rather self explanatory at this point. He had never been this worked up. Ever.

"Just a few moments ago, I thought our biggest problem in our relationship was your inability to see how beautiful you were without makeup... As it turns out, it's your inability to stick with one guy at a time." He said in gravelly voiced.

"I can explain..." She said, her tone sombre from the taxing emotions.

"Yes, explain it to me. I want to hear every detail. Every sordid detail." His inflamed eyes burning her on sight.

Amy rubbed her arms uncomfortably, trying hopelessly to console herself. "It was a kiss. A-a stupid, meaningless kiss."

"Don't downplay it. You kissed-" His heart clenched to bring his rival's name to his lips. He grimaced, breathing in deeply and retracting his name from his words. "You kissed him, knowing all of us were just a few feet away, just a few steps away from catching you. Was that part of the thrill?"

"No!" She said in horror.

"Then what was it? Was he that irresistible to you?" He scoffed. "He calls himself the ultimate lifeform. I guess you were ready to find out why."

"It wasn't nothing like that-"

"So what was it like, Amy? Was it a simple peck on the lips? Full blown lusting? Hands roaming? Heavy breathing? What?!"

He was torturing himself. His humiliation and insecurity revealed in his excessive questioning. His ego having taken such an impact from the reveal of her betrayal, he was unable to camouflage his true emotions anymore.

She inhaled, oppressing back her sobs with a heavy heart. "Why are you torturing yourself?"

"Because I want to know. I want to know exactly what you felt in that moment. I want to know why you did it."

"... I don't know..." She looked away, fearing his reaction to her reasoning. She heard him laugh softly through his pain, forcing her to turn back to him.

"Nah." He breathed out, moving off of the desk and slowly walking towards her. She stepped back nervously, bracing herself for his indignation. "Nah, you don't get to do that. You don't get to destroy everything we had and then give a cheap answer like that."

"It didn't mean anything." She repeated, her tears beginning to fall again.

He sighed, his own eyes blinking away his emotions. "I wish it did mean something. At least then, it would be worth risking everything."

His hushed tone crumbled a fabric of plaster from the tension wall, bringing a solemn, poised moment in their dispute. Her eyelashes batted her tears away, allowing her to see the aching serenity on his pained features. "It was a moment of weakness." She whispered. "When Shadow made me see what I was doing, I realised how bad I screwed up."

Again, he chuckled, pain laced. Squeezing his eyes shut in his agony. "Heh... So you didn't come to the realisation that maybe what you were doing would destroy us, on your own. You had to hear it from him that it was wrong?" He stepped away from her, biting his lip to restrain his temper. "J-just answer me this. If Shadow hadn't told you to stop... If he was taken away by the moment... Would you have gone on to do more?"

She knew what was she needed to say. That she would never have crossed that line. That somewhere in the midst her fiery kiss with the ultimate lifeform, she would've pictured how he would feel if he knew, how broken he would be to know what she was doing...

But she knew from experience, that wouldn't have happened. How many times had she been in the same situation, with another man, swept up in the heat of the moment and only realise after the deed was done, that she regretted her actions? She had lost count. For her actions were playing off her insecurity and self hatred and those feelings in abundance.

The denial tried to come out, but was restricted beneath her tongue. Her mouth moved, only to quiver and subsequently reveal her truth.

His held back rage strummed through his blood and was unleashed on Tails's miscellaneous papers and folders. He swiped the objects off the desk harshly and exclaimed his turmoil. "Fuck!"

His outrage made her jump back, her heart racing from the shock. Her eyes scanned the floor at the scattered papers and folders, the innocent sheets and document containers that had taken the brunt of his anger rather than her.

Within seconds, he was standing before her, panting heavily to and scowling deeply. "I was seconds away from walking on something **a lot** more animated!"

"I didn't mean for anything to happen! He was just there and-"

"And you threw yourself on him for no reason?! The mood just took you and you threw away everything we had, for Shadow? Of all fucking people?!"

"I didn't think we had a relationship!" She screamed back at him, uncovering her knowledge of his conversation. "I heard what you said about me. That you could never commit to me and that this whole trial was just so you could have sex with me! You made me believe that you actually cared about me when all that time, you just wanted my body!"

His eyes softened to her revelation. Of course she had heard, apart of him had assumed it from the moment he found her crying in the kitchen that day. So had he deserved her betrayal after lying to her? Was this his retribution? Her vengeance?

"So you wanted to get back at me by trying to sleep with my rival?"

"...No." She partially lied. Revenge had not been the main attribute to her infidelity, just a byproduct.

Sonic refused to believe her. "What I did, was wrong. I know that. I should never have lied to you about my intentions and for that, I'm sorry... But you? You went off and tried to sleep with **my rival** , literally minutes after hearing what I said. Do you have any idea how-"

"How what? She asked grimly. "Cheap? Tactless? Disgusting? It's okay, you can say it. Because that's what I am." She covered her mouth to hold back her overbearing sobs. After slowly the emotions away, she placed her hand on her heart. "That is all I am, in here."

The blue hedgehog remained silent, astonished by the way she described herself.

Swallowing harshly, Amy tried with all her might to unleash her agonised self loathing and hold back her weeping. "What you feel right now... Is exactly how I have felt for _fourteen_ years. In all that time, I held it in. Just kept telling myself that, one day, all this pain would be worth it... And then you met her. This girl which you claimed was everything you've been wanting; strong, funny, sexy... The whole package. I just kept asking myself, what was I doing wrong? What did she have that I didn't?"

Sonic faced the ground, taking in every word of her confession. The reasoning behind her toxic ways was soon to be discovered.

"Fourteen years of trying to get you to notice me and I failed to a girl you met on one of your missions. A princess. A fucking princess! How was I ever gonna compete with her?" She sniffled and blinked away more developing tears. "I just... Wanted to be loved. To mean something to someone. And after years of holding back that pain... I couldn't bear it anymore. I just needed to feel like I was desirable." She breathed in deeply, looking up towards the ceiling in angst. "Do you know how many men there's been?" She asked, tearfully.

Sonic shook his head, his gut simmering with anxiety.

She shrugged hopelessly, smiling a pained smile. "I don't know either..." She sobbed. "I lost count years ago... I-I don't even remember any of their names. Every time this... black void within takes over, I have to find someone, anyone, just to feel like I'm worth something." Another sob escaped her. "I hate myself. I hate myself so much. I let these men use me... I-I did things that I don't even want to remember... Because I just wanted to be loved."

The blue hero stayed stationed, not knowing what to do or to say. A part of him demanded he go to her and hold her, tell her everything was okay and that she truly was loved. But he couldn't shake off the detriment she had caused him. Her failure to control her own emotions had now scarred him.

But again, he blamed himself. He knew she had these toxic traits yet allowed himself to get with her anyway just to fulfill his fantasies.

There was just something that he couldn't understand with her toxicity. The particular question left him crossing his hand and staring away, deep in thought. "You love me more than you love yourself? He asked.

"Yes. I love you more than anything in this world."

He sighed. He knew that was coming. Walking back to her, his emotions began to resurface. "If you loved me like you say you do, more than you love yourself..." His breath shook to the dwelling tears rising to form in his eyes. In his dire need for her, he cupped her face and forced her to look up at him. "Then why... Why would you bring this pain onto me?" He choked on his words, lowering his head to rest against hers.

Amy weeped at the sight of breaking lover, bringing her hands to cling to his forearms in desperation. "I'll do anything to make this right again. Anything. Just please don't give up on me, Sonic-" She whimpered, rubbing her hand up and down his arms to ease him.

Hearing her beg for forgiveness made his choice even harder. Despite everything she had done, everything that was said, he still wanted her. The love he held for her was too much to lose.

Yet the pain persisted.

"Kiss me..." She insisted, looking into his eyes. "Kiss me a-and then you'll see just how much I love you. I only love you, Sonic. It's always been you."

He was hesitant in his compliance, the thoughts fighting for various responses. The want vs the ache. Both two undeniably strong opponents.

The pink woman edged closer to him, cautiously slowly in her approach. Eyes tracing back and forth between his lips and emerald orbs. She sensed his restraint and immediately paused, looking back into his eyes to reassure him of her sincerity.

Acknowledging her sincere assurance to not force him, Sonic gave into the desire and locked his lips onto hers.

Their was a mix of uncertainty from him and tenderness from her. An apology from her, to him. As she provided warmth and love to him, his responding affection was timidly lukewarm. For the battle in his head was still raging on. He wanted to hate her for what she had done to him... And he couldn't. His heart would not allow it.

A string of the memories from the night before attempted to sway him. Images of his beautiful wife against him, bouncing primitively on him. He could feel the sensation radiating down his front. How soft she had felt, the heat of her sweltering body against him as their sweat from the passionate night blended as one, the sweetness of her perfume as he bore his face into her neck, nearly as sweet as her kiss, and the sounds she made. Oh the deafening sounds of her screams was enough to make him lose his hearing but damn it he couldn't deny the intensity was beyond anything he had ever experienced.

As his heart commanded, the blue male yielded to the tempting memories. The defiant opposition however turned his love to frustration. Deepening the kiss, he channelled his anger into intensive passion, surpassing anything his lust had ever performed.

Taken back by his ardency, Amy reciprocated his passion. It was smouldering. His kiss carried his pain and his anger, chastising her, all the while showering her with his love. She took it all. His suffering, his fury and his devotion, and returned her undying love.

He pushed her back into another desk, forcing her onto the surface and ripping off the buttons of her jacket, yanking the fabric off her shoulders. She aided him in his eager tearing of her clothes, allowing him to remove and discard the garment aside. The sensation of his hands carelessly move up, beneath her shirt and towards her concealed breasts made her moan against his lips and separate her legs for him to move closer.

He towered over her, leaning forward to push her down against the desk. The sounds of falling documents were paid no thought. A sense of possession driving him to reclaim his straying wife encouraged his yearning. With every hungered movement of their lips, his desire became more prominent.

Until the image of their actions were altered to fabrications of his wife doing these things with Shadow. In her body clinging one piece she had worn that day, pressed against his chest fur.

"Argh!" He yelled as he ripped himself off of her. He ran his hands through his quills, panting rapidly with anger. "I can't stop picturing you all over him!"

Amy slowly sat up on the desk, staring sincerely at the blue hedgehog as she reorganised her clothes.

His pain had taken over his passion, broadcasting his sorrow to his lover. "I wanted it all with you! The commitment, the marriage, the kids! I literally spoke about wanting a baby with you this morning!" He yelled at her, his tone sounding more agonised than piqued. "I stood in front of all our friends, declaring how much I love you!" He growled in frustration. "I still fucking love you!"

Amy got off the desk and rushed over to him, grabbing both his forearms in distress. "We can get passed this. It was just a stupid kiss!"

He ripped himself away from her. "But how long before it becomes more?! How will I know I'm not gonna walk in on you fucking my friends because I did something to upset you?!"

She whimpered in her remorse. "I won't! I swear on my life, I wouldn't do that to you."

"I never thought you would cheat on me... You learn something new everyday." He shook his head, still trying to process all that had happened. "God, why did you have to do this?!" He asked rhetorically in his irritation.

"I'm sorry!"

"You were the last person I expected to betray me. The one I always thought would be by my side..." He stroked her cheek gingerly, wiping away a stray tear. "Because it's always been you. My closest friend, my love, my everything."

The sadness slithered off her face and replaced with a look of bewilderment. "What?" She blinked, falling into a state of shock. "Always? H-how long is always?"

His breath hitched at her question, realising he had possibly said too much. He groaned, parading back and forth with his hands behind his head.

"Sonic." Amy fumed, her tears threatening to fall once again.

"Look, I don't know exactly how long. I didn't know that I loved you until last night!"

"Then how long have you liked me?"

He delayed his response, watching her hold back her tears and pout in her rage. "... Dunno... A couple years?"

"Y-years?" She gasped. The images of their budding relationship starting in her late teens came to mind. Every moment of flirting, every subtle touch, every little moment of precarious fondling... "How many years?"

He stared at her shamefully, knowing his answer would rip her apart. "Six..."

Amy gasped deeply, his heart bearing the sharp blade of his confession. Her head shook violently in defiance, not wanting to believe him. "Sixteen?! Before all the other girls?! Before I-" She covered her mouth to hold back her sickness.

"At the time, it was wrong to want you! You were just a kid, Ames. No matter how I felt, you were way to young for a relationship with me."

"Why didn't you tell me how you felt?! I would've understood. I would've waited!"

"Because I met Sally and I did fall for her... Just not as much as I did for you..."

"And Mina and Fiona?"

Again, he hesitated, knowing just how despicable he was about to sound. "They were just for sex."

With her temper now beginning to boil, Amy paced around, riled. "You slept with them, knowing you had feelings for me? Knowing how much I love you?!"

"You wanted things that I couldn't give you at the time! You always went on about wanting your own family; a husband, kids. I wasn't ready for that! I wanted to have fun. I found that in them."

"You call having mediocre sex with a pair of bimbo's fun?! You said so yourself you were never into it."

"Because I was picturing you with me!" The words projectiled out of his mouth before he could think of what he was saying. He groaned. "Aw, fuck..."

She scoffed, in more disbelief than before. "So instead of giving me a chance, you fucked two girls you didn't even care about, whilst picturing me instead of them?!" She laughed astoundingly. "You're unbelievable."

"Ames-"

"You could have spared me years of self loathing by just being honest! I would've compromised anything to be with you!" She breathed out a shaky breath. "All those men could've been prevented if you just told me! Do you have any idea how it felt? To wake up under numerous bodies? To be nothing more than an object catering to an array of different people? Is that what you want to hear?! I didn't just have boyfriends and passionate flings, there was multiple men at a time; sometimes one by one, sometimes all at once. How does that make you feel, Sonic? Knowing that the _child_ you couldn't commit to was on her knees, pleasuring any guy who'd look at her? Am I still your goddess?" She stared at him with an empty gaze, numbed by all the emotions.

Repulsed, he turned away from her. Had he known the extent of her insecurities, he would have put a stop to her self destruction long ago. The guilt washed over him. What if he had just told her? If he had just been honest from the start, he could've saved her from herself.

... But wait... Why was he responsible for her actions? He had not forced her to fall in love with him. Didn't he have every right, as a single guy, to do whatever or whoever he wanted?

So he had been attracted to her as she blossomed into womanhood. Didn't he still have the choice to choose whether or not to pursue those thoughts?

"So it's my fault? That's what you're saying?" He asked her, turning back to face her.

"You had involvement. You could've just told me you needed more time and I would've understood."

"And what about Mina and Fiona? What if I wanted to see them, as well as you?"

She glared back at him, disgruntled by his question. "Why would you want anyone else after admitting you had feelings for me, and not them?"

His arms stretched out wide, signalling her foiled logic. "My relationships with Mina and Fiona were strictly just sex. No commitment, no dates. We'd hook up and leave. That was my ideal relationship, the full on opposite to what you wanted! If I added you into the mix, I would've done the same to you. You didn't deserve that."

"I didn't deserve to be neglected either."

"Okay, I'm gonna say this slowly so you can understand... I. Am not responsible. For you." He said slowly. "I chose to be with those girls and I don't regret it. Because that my was choice. How you responded to my choices was all on you."

Tears of anger spilled down her face as she glared back at her lover. "So you don't acknowledge your involvement to my downward spiral?"

"I will not be made to feel guilty for expressing my freedom to choose what I wanna do, whenever I wanna do it. Have some accountability! You chose to be with those men, just like you chose to cheat on me. You have no one to blame but yourself!"

She nodded back at him, agreeing to disagree and putting an end to their quarrel. "I guess that solves it then, we're not compatible." She shrugged hopelessly. "As agreed in the contract, I will no longer pursuit you. In fact, you won't have to deal with me again."

Confused, Sonic said nothing, awaiting for her to continue.

"I joined the team in hopes of one day being your girlfriend. With that no longer possible, I have no reason to be apart of it." She sniffled, composing herself before she could speak. "... I hereby turn in my resignation as a freedom fighter, in immediate effect. By tomorrow, I will be moving back to Mercia."

The panic slammed into his chest profusely. She was leaving? She couldn't leave, not so hastily. His heart begged him to stop her, to tell her to reconsider and that they could solve their differences with time.

But his damaged ego was having none of it. She had destroyed him, destroyed their relationship, and thrown the blame on him. She still had a lot of growing up to do. Maybe it was better she started over and learnt from her mistakes.

Benumbed by the ordeal, Sonic stared down at the ground, just beneath her feet and reluctantly nodded. "Permission granted..."

She mentally screamed for him to rush over to her and take her in his arms and tell her that they could fix this. That they were worth saving and their past didn't have to matter, they would just focus on their future.

But much like her lover, pride controlled her decisions. She simply nodded back at him and moved her hands to the back of her neck, removing the necklace he had gotten for her and turning to place it on the desk. Looking back at him for a final time, Amy breathed in deeply and forced the bitter words from her lips. "Bye, Sonic..." She whispered just loud enough for him to hear. Clicking open the shutter doors, Amy walked through the opening doors and forced herself to keep her eyes facing forward. To look back would no doubt change her mind.

As the sun shown into the workshop once more, Sonic squinted, covering his eyes to see the silhouette of his beloved walking down the path and out of his life forever.

With the stinging sensation of his aching heart, the tears finally cascaded down his face. He exclaimed the turmoil in his heart in a agonised bawl, ripping down the documents off the nearby desk out of grief before collapsing onto his hands and knees and sobbing quietly on the ground.

* * *

_I can feel your heart hanging in the air_

Residing on his bed within the workshop, the blue leader sat against the headboard, knees huddled closely, covering his knees with Amy's jacket. He clinged to the fabric, occasionally and torturously inhaling the scent, bringing on more burning tears.

His eyes stung him, overworked by his crying. How could he have lost everything moments after finding what wanted? It was cruel. Love was cruel. His heart still ached for her, mourned for her. His mind teased him with the memories they had together, reminding him that he was to never have those happy feelings again.

Because the love of his life was leaving him and was not coming back.

_I'm counting every step as you climb the stairs_

_It's buried in your bones, I see it in your closed eyes_

_Turning in, this is harder than we know_

_We hold it in the most when we're wearing thin_

Was he wrong for letting her walk away? Had he made the right decision? He continuously went over the questions.

Without her, he was broken...

But because of her, he was broken.

This pain was maddening! Why did he still want her?!

_Coming like a hurricane, I take it in real slow_

_The world is spinning like a weathervane_

_Fragile and composed_

_Though I am breaking down again_

_I am aching now to let you in_

A knock on the opposite side of his bedroom door force him to sit up and wipe the tears away from his eyes. He discarded the jacket quickly and turned back to the door. "Yeah?" He cleared his throat after hearing the grogginess in his voice.

The door opened graciously slow and revealed his friends; Tails and Knuckles. They gave him heartfelt smiles, empathising with the leader. "Hey, man. Sorry 'bout Amy. You alright?" Knuckles asked, taking a seat on the edge of the bed.

Sonic forced a smile on his face. "Eh, these things happen. I'm alright. It'll be forgotten by tomorrow."

Tails scrunched his nose at Sonic's pretence. Even with all the evidence of his hurt, he still persevered to provide a forced, nonchalant facade. "So what's happening now? Are you two giving each other space?" He asked in a tranquil tone, not wanting to rush any answer from the heartbroken male.

The blue hedgehog chuckled beneath his breath. "I guess you could say that..." He looked up to see his friend's looking back at him, confused. He sighed. "She's leaving, moving back to Mercia... Probably live with Rob for a while, I dunno..." He looked back down at his lap, too ached to carry on his front.

Tails and Knuckles exchanged perplexed expressions. "Why?"

"Well, after I made the stupid mistake of revealing just how long I may have liked her, she got mad, told me a few things about her past behaviour, blamed me for said behaviour... And then resigned from the team."

"Wow, she's got some nerve..." Knuckles scoffed. "She cheats on you with edgelord and she says it's _your_ fault?"

Tails crossed his arms. Having little knowledge on Amy's past, he linked her promiscuity with insecurity. To blame Sonic for her insecurities, after he'd denied her any chance of being with him, all the while getting gawked at, flirted with and touched by him, it was likely to cause some perplexity. Whether he intended to or not, he had stringed her along. Dangling the desire in front of her and then leaving her to chase.

But that was just a theory. He needed more proof. "Did she say why she kissed Shadow?"

"She heard what I said about her to you guys. Her response was to find the nearest guy and make out with 'em."

"... Did she say it was because she was vulnerable? Maybe insecure?" The fox asked. Sonic nodded in response. Tails sighed, looking to the ceiling hopelessly. "I'm not condoning Amy's actions. There's no excuse to cheat on someone... But there's a lot more to this than a kiss."

Knuckles raised his eyebrow at the genius. "What're you getting at?"

Tails sighed once more, sitting beside his solemn friend and resting his hand on his shoulder. "You know I love you, man. But you also know I'm gonna be blunt with you." Sonic nodded back at him. "There's this show I watch with Cream called, 'The Ninety Day Hitch'. It's a terrible show where these people have ninety days to get married, at the beginning of their relationships. I don't like it, but I watch it with her just so she has someone to talk about it with..."

Sonic and Knuckles looked at one another, still not grasping the point to Tails's rambling.

"Anyway, my point is, like them, this marriage trial of yours was never gonna work from the start. A marriage requires comprise, constructive management of disagreements, good communication, amongst other things. You had some issues to clear up before this started which needed to be cleared up. Obviously being too caught up in the honeymoon phase, you two were too busy getting busy to talk through her insecurities and your inability to compromise."

"Lay off him, Tails." Knuckles told the young man. "He's clearly beaten up about it."

"Thanks, Knux. But it's okay." Sonic hushed his hot headed friend. He turned back to Tails. "D'ya think I made the wrong choice?"

"That's not for me to say... But I do think you both need time to just evaluate the situation, and then talk about what happened in the past. You leading her on and her deeply rooted insecurities that had brought us up til now. Emotions are still running high right now. That's not the best time to be making life changing decisions."

Sonic sat up and looked his brother eagerly for reassurance in his longing choice. "So you think I should go and get her?"

"It's really not my place to say. That's your decision to make after all. Are you willing to let her go forever after what she did to you? Or are you willing to work with her to get back to what you were? Just think about it, I'm sure you'll come up with the right choice for you sooner or later."

What more had to be considered? Thanks to Tails's perspective, he was able to see his own faults in the downfall of Amy's security. In the time he was getting his fix from other girl's, he could have been getting love from her. A more wild yet meaningful kind of love.

Now that he thought about it, he was beginning to partially regret his choices. The freedom he felt with her was much more intense than it was on his own. Had he given her a chance before, they could've felt this freedom years ago.

He had to get her back.

Jumping out of bed, Sonic slipped on his shoes and turned back to his friends. "Thanks for the talk, buddy. I gotta go."

"Where're you going?" Knuckles asked.

Grinning back at the pair, Sonic quickly grabbed the sapphire necklace he had placed on his nightstand and placed it in his back quills. "I've gotta renew my vows." He said before dashing out of the workshop.

Turning back to the fox, Knuckles expressed his concern. "Let's hope he doesn't rush into anything again."

"Knowing Sonic, that's just what he'll do. I'm just hoping both of them can sort their differences out." He said, getting up from the bed and walking towards the door. "Guess I better start cleaning up the mess downstairs."

"Yeah, you go do that." Knuckles said, following the fox down to the workshop. He overtook the young man and made his way downstairs.

Tails frowned to himself and muttered under his breath. "Want some help, Tails? Sure I could use the help. What are friends for?" He rolled his eyes and followed the echidna to the workshop to clean up the scattered papers across the ground.

* * *

_It's all we know, all we know, the hurricane_

_Falling slow, falling slow in the pouring rain_

With vigorous haste, Sonic ran down the path to Amy's, mentally praying he would find her there and take her in his arms and tell her they could get through the pain. It wasn't likely to be easy. He knew it would take awhile for the trust to be close to anything it had been, but to bear through the pain with the woman he loved, they could do it.

They had bought each other down, they could bring each other back up.

_It's all we know, all we know, the hurricane_

_Falling slow, falling slow in the pouring rain_

_Watch it go, watch it go, we stay the same_

A smile formed on his lips at the sight of her house. Her home had become his. The making of their roots, their foundation.

_And I don't know, I don't know how it can change_

_It's all we know, all we know, the hurricane_

Charging through the front door, Sonic called out to the pink hedgehog. After she had failed to respond, Sonic searched every room of the house for her.

To no avail. She wasn't home.

Where could she be? Two hours had passed since their argument, she should've gotten home by now.

... Had she left already?

Panicked by the possibility, Sonic rushed into the bedroom and ripped open her wardrobe. All her clothes were still intact, still neatly hung up accordingly.

He repeated his actions with the dresser, finding all her clothes still present. Would she just up and leave without her belongings?

This didn't make any sense. If she hadn't left yet? Where could she be?

... His gut warned him of unknown threat. Something wasn't right. He told himself not to think of such things, but after finding out the mindset of a vulnerable Amy Rose, the possibility was strong.

What if she was back to her self destructive ways?

His anxiety brewed. If that was what was happening, he had to save her. He failed her once, he couldn't make the same mistake twice.

He clicked on his communicator and contracted his brother. "Tails? Tails, you there?"

"I'm here. What's up?"

"Amy's missing! I think she-" He sighed heavily. "I think she's in danger."

Sparing the details, the fox got straight to the plan. "Get back here and we'll track her. And don't worry, Sonic. I'm sure she's fine."

"Thanks, pal. Back in a sec." He ended the call and raced out of the house and back to the workshop. Wherever she was, he hoped he wasn't too late.


	9. For Better or Worse

Chapter Nine: For Better or Worse

A sweep of chilling breeze trembled her unconscious body, gradually bringing her out of her unawareness. Her heavy eyelids opened leisurely, immediately combating the winds and bringing tears to her eyes. She tried to bring her hands up to wipe the water from her eyes, but was surprised to find her arms had been restricted to her sides. She struggled in an attempt to break free but faltered to the metallic chains around her.

"What the-"

"Ah, Amy!" The gruff voice of her ex lover's arch nemesis spoke to her. Her head darted to the mad doctor and followed her actions with a disgruntled scowl on her face. Eggman however ignored her displeased expression and spoke with enthusiasm. "So glad you could join us. Please, forgive the authenticity of your binds. I was so pleased with my new fortress, I didn't think about making better restraints."

"Why'd you kidnapped me?"

"I thought that part would be obvious. As Sonic's current floozy, you make the perfect bait to lure that blue rodent to my latest Egg Carrier!" He gestured his hand to show the girl the gigantic, flying fortress.

The grand scale, multifunctional base hovered amongst the clouds, it's red, yellow and black appearance standing out in contrast to the blue and white sky. A new sleek design had taken over its previous models to become the evil genius's ultimate battle ship.

Eggman and his hostage stood on the open deck, watching the clouds pass them at high speeds. "Once that hedgehog notices you're gone, he'll come right to your rescue and suffer under my heavy artillery!" He monologued, laughing menacingly to his own plans.

Amy scoffed, looking down at her red shoes. "Don't hold your breath, Eggman. Sonic's not gonna come for me..." She told him dejectedly.

Her comment took the wind out of the doctor's sails. "What are you talking about?"

The woman sighed and grimaced at the bitter memory of their heated arguement and brutal break up. "It's over. Sonic and I aren't together..."

Flabbergasted, Eggman stuttered on his words. "Bu- I- and the-" He growled. "Can't you furheads keep it together for five minutes?! This ruins my idea for live bait!" He scolded the woman and then sigh exasperatedly. "Guess I can't be too surprised. That hedgehog can't keep himself situated for too long."

She paused, raising her eyebrow at the man. "Wait... How do you know about me and Sonic?"

Facing out to the view, Eggman twiddled with his moustache. "Know your enemy. I could hardly call myself Sonic's arch nemesis if I didn't know what was going on in his private life. I'm always one step ahead." He shortly frowned and rubbed his chin in thought. "Though the deterioration of your relationship with one another seems to be quite new information."

"Yeah... It's pretty raw alright." Amy hung her head in her sorrow.

Noticing the girl's woeful spirit, Eggman stared nonchalantly before sneering at the pink hedgehog. He masked his sinister intent behind a compassionate look of concern. "Oh dear. Was it that bad?" The doctor sat beside the depressed woman and expressed his empathy. "The doctor is in. Talk to me." Amy lifted her head and raised an eyebrow at him. "What? Just because we're sworn enemies, doesn't mean I can't aid you in your time of need."

Apart of her knew better to not trust the mad man, but in her vulnerable state, her emotions overpowered her logic. "It turns out Sonic and I aren't as compatible as I thought."

"How come? I always thought you two were ideal for each other."

She gasped quietly, surprised by the doctor's perspective. "You really think so?"

"Of course! You both share a fondness for adventure, you have a good vibe going between ya, and you're both equally insufferable. A much better pairing than the previous two."

"Three, actually. The princess, the vixen, and the harmonious singer... I guess I was just another toy in his little game." The mentioning of his passed flames burned her. No matter how much time had passed since their significance in Sonic's life, their former presence still bothered her.

Because of comparison. The standards of beauty these women held was peerless. Sally; Beguiling beauty she was with her azure blue eyes that glistened at every angle. Fiona; Fiery and voluptuous. Her mettlesome and seductive ways had no doubt grasped Sonic's attention. And Mina; Adorable, yet slightly ditsy. Her talents were just as strong as her looks; beautiful vocals, beautiful appearance.

With looks, flaring personalities and outstanding talents, Amy was left questioning just what she was good at. She could fight, yet so could they. She was intelligent, as (save Mina at times) were they. Such deeply thought questions had caused her to fixate on being just like them; stunningly captivating, astounding at fighting, multi-talented, and ultimately, Sonic's ideal woman.

Of course, now that she had realised her strive for perfection had set ridiculous goals for herself, covered her flaws and more importantly, her deeply rooted insecurities, she hated herself even more than ever before. The real Amy, the girl long forgotten in the strive for perfection, would never have hurt her beloved the way she had.

"So what happened? You finally saw what a loser that blue pineapple is?"

She ignored the slanderous names and continued to vaguely explain what had happened between herself and her ex lover. "I did something terrible. Some things were said, some information was unearthed, and now it's all over. We broke up and I left the team. I was supposed to be heading home and packing before _you_ _r_ robots ambushed me and knocked me unconscious!"

"Hey! No need to get an attitude with me. If anything, I've just saved you from making a big mistake!" Eggman told her defensively.

Staring back at him in confusion, Amy fixed her attitude to a more calm demeanour. "What do you mean?"

"Is this lover's tiff really worth losing him?"

"You don't understand." She quickly interjected. "What I did was pretty bad... Damaging even..."

"And rather than try and fix what you've done, you're going to throw everything you've worked for?"

Amy blinked in bewilderment. "So you think I've made the wrong choice?"

The doctor shrugged indifferently. "If I gave up every time I lost to the blue weasel- Which is about a fifty-fifty ratio, give or take... I wouldn't have perfected my creations to become the greatest evil mastermind there is!" He said, standing triumphantly with a malicious grin across his face.

She looked down once more, processing the advice from her enemy. She questioned her decision, more so than she had on the journey back to her home, before her kidnapping. In the heat of her emotions, she had thrown everything had built, everything she had longed for, away. And for what? To start again in her homeland and potentially move on to a man she knew would never be her true love?

Perhaps she was a little too rash in her decision making, but even still, how was she going to go back? She had traumatised her hero with her betrayal and her friends hated her for her actions. In just one unthought moment, she had destroyed the relationships with the people she loved most.

And so the choice remained. Did she start over in Mercia, or try with every bit of strength within her to make things right again? To throw her life away, or her dignity?

Her dignity was very much spent after all her degrading affairs. Patching things up with Sonic and the team couldn't cost much more from her.

First, she would need to get out of Eggman's clutches.

Amy looked down at her arms and attempted to wriggle the chains gingerly to get a glimpse of her communicator. Aghast, her eyes widened to find it was no longer on her wrist. There was a possibility Eggman had confiscated the device, or she had lost it in her struggle to fight off the Badniks.

She huffed in her annoyance, blowing her bangs out of her face. If she was to get any help in escaping, she would have to pray the team cared enough for her to save her.

They just needed to know exactly where she was. "Hey, Eggman?"

The doctor looked over to the woman and raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Does Sonic even know that you've got me held hostage?"

He paused, the confidence slowly shedding off his face and drooping in his falter. "Orbot, Cubot!" He yelled out for his aids.

His assistants shortly hovered over to their creator. "What is it, boss?" Orbot asked.

"Send a transmission to Sonic and his fox friend. Tell him we have his girlfriend and will not hesitate to provide her a freestyle skydiving experience!" He cackled and sneered in his amusement.

His robots stared at the doctor before turning their attention to the not-so-impressed Amy behind him. Seeing their uneasy expressions, the man turned back to the pink hedgehog. "What? I'm an evil doctor, not a therapist. Talk time is over!"

Turning away from her kidnappers, Amy looked out onto the out-stretching deck and hoped for her beloved to come to her rescue.

* * *

Having returned to the workshop, Sonic stood behind Tails's chair as the fox went to work on tracking Amy's communicator. He stared at the large monitor above them, tapping his foot impatiently. A dozen thoughts swarming his mind.

He hated to think so low of her, but the possibility of her being in the shady side of the city, schmoozing with a bunch of creeps wouldn't leave his head. Her ways of getting affection had left him wrangled in guilt and fear for her life. Had he paid her more attention, he could've prevented all of this. If he was simply honest with her to begin with, she would not be on a path to destruction.

It was crazy to think just how much power he had over her all this time, without even knowing it. While he was making choices to suit himself, his choices were creating a monster of her. How could she let herself get used like that? Over and over? She had mentioned it was so she could feel loved, desired. Why had she been so desperate for love?

That was when he thought about it. She mentioned how she hated herself, therefore she wouldn't have cared of her wellbeing. She was simply looking for anybody to give her the feeling she never had for herself. She had looked for the same thing from him.

She had hoped his love would have substituted the lack of love she had for herself.

He sighed heavily. Wherever she was, he could only hope her self loathing wasn't controlling her actions.

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't breathe down my neck while I'm doing this." Tails moved forward and looked back at his brother irritably.

"Sorry. I just don't wanna be too late."

"Sonic. I'm sure she's fine. But the sooner I get this done, the sooner we'll get to her." He told his anxious brother before returning back to his work.

Trying to ease his anxiety, Sonic paced back and forth behind the fox, hands behind his back and chin facing down. Anything could be happening to her. Maybe he should run back to her home again. Just to make sure he hadn't already been replaced.

"Hmm, got the coordinates. Translating... She's on the outskirts of Mystic Ruins?"

Sonic dashed beside the fox and looked up at the screen. "That can't be right. I passed that area when I ran to her house."

Tails turned to the hedgehog and gave him a look of concern. "You might need to check it out. Her communicator's there... I don't know about Amy herself." The genius quickly tapped against his keyboard. "I've sent the tracking information to your communicator. Let's just hope she's where her communicator happens to be."

The blue blur nodded back at him. "Be right back." He told the fox before he dashed out of the workshop and back onto the path. His eyes occasionally looked down at his communicator, Her location was just moments away. That settled the city escapades he had imagined. But why would she be hanging around the forest of the Mystic Ruins? The possibility just didn't seem plausible.

Reaching his destination, Sonic slowed down and proceeded to walk towards the particular spot the communicator was responding to. Moving the thicket out of the way, he spotted Amy's communicator nestled on the grass.

"Damn..." Sonic muttered to himself. Losing her communicator in the banks of the pathway was never a good sign. Had she thrown it away in a fit of anger? Possibly a symbolic way of declaring her departure from the team?

What if she was attacked?

Breathing out a nerved breath, Sonic collected Amy's device and contacted Tails. "Bad sign, Tails. Amy's not here."

"Don't panic. We'll find her- hold up! I'm getting a transmission." There was a short pause from Tails's end. "It's from Doctor Eggman!"

A sense of relief washed over him. Had Eggman gotten to her? He never thought he would be happy to hear Amy had been kidnapped. "What's he rambling on about this time?"

"I'll link you in." Tails told him. A brief moment of silence was quickly brought to an end as the transmission was sent to his communicator.

"Sonic The Hedgehog. Don't be alarmed-" The voice of Cubot sounded from the device.

"No. It's _be_ alarmed, not _don't_ be alarmed." Orbot corrected his cube shaped companion. "Perhaps I should recite the speech?"

"I've got it... What were the lines again?"

"I really believe I should be the one to recite the Doctor's monologue. Your memory drive is a little overrun it would seem."

"Just come and get your girlfriend from the new and improved Egg Carrier. If not, Eggman says he's gonna push her off the edge. The coordinates are; '896,425,37869'. We'll see you soon... Maybe? What? Amy said they'd broke up. Hey, wait! I'm not done yet-" The transmission came to an end, sounding a few seconds of static before ending.

The confirmation of Amy's whereabouts made him sigh the anxiety off his chest. She was safe. Well, safe-ish. She was safe from herself and very soon, she would be safe in his arms.

"Looks like I'm gonna need a ride to that Egg Carrier, Bud." Sonic told his friend through the device.

The noise of an engine alerted the blue hedgehog and forced him to look to the sky. Flying above him was his brother in the X-Tornado. He circled around, progressively getting lower until Sonic was in reach. "Already ahead of you. Let's go get her."

Grinning back at the fox, Sonic jumped onto the wing of the plane and held on tight as his brother flew up high and piloted swiftly to the Egg Carrier's location.

* * *

He waited impatiently, his former childish giddiness fading with every passing second. He was certain he hadn't ever waited this long for his arch nemesis to appear. Granted, the warning had been issued later than anticipated due to his keen attitude to obliterate his enemy getting the better of him, but surely that blue rat had to be in close radius by now.

Maybe the girl was right. The pain she had caused him was so great, he had turned his back on her when she needed him most. Even disregarding his hero status because of the pain. Oh, how petty. So delightfully cruel.

He may have felt somewhat impressed by the hedgehog's callousness.

But he had spent way too much time and resources on this Egg Carrier. He couldn't possibly allow that blue rodent to be a no-show.

Looking down at the wrist controller, he clicked onto the time, mentally telling himself that his ambitions to destroy Sonic were causing his lack of patience. All this waiting around he was doing was making him antsy.

"Amy was right. Sonic must really not like her to leave her here for this long, Doc." Cubot commented, oblivious to the hurtful words affecting the tied up pink hedgehog beside them.

Eggman groaned. What if he was right? If Sonic truly wasn't going to show up and save his woman, having her there served no purpose. In fact, her presence was probably deterring him from showing up!

He was beginning to think it was time for her sky diving experience.

... But first, it would be much more entertaining to provide the girl an outlet for her emotions.

"It's such a shame that Sonic's refusing to rescue you after everything you two have been through. I know he's hurting, but to wanna leave you like this... It must be hard to process." The doctor said, patronising the woman.

Amy looked away from him, too heartbroken to mutter her woes.

"How many years have you known him? You were but a child when I first kidnapped you on Little Planet. Is it ten years? Eleven? Maybe twelve?"

"... It's fourteen." She mumbled, her heart tearing to every heartbeat.

"Ah, yes! Fourteen years. Such a long time isn't it? One hundred and sixty eight months, Seven hundred and thirty weeks, Five thousand, one hundred and ten days... All forgotten about in a matter of hours."

"I know what you're trying to do." Amy said coldly, gradually bringing her head up to face the man. The tears formed around her eyes, mere moments from falling.

Eggman acted innocent, pointing to himself and appearing shocked by her accusation. "I'm not trying to do anything. I'm simply pointing out just how careless that blue hedgehog can be. He has forgotten you, Amy. All those years you spent trying to become Mrs Amy Rose, The Hedgehog, and one tiny mistake has made him cut all ties with you."

"Stop it..." She demanded. The tears fell down her cheeks, the warmth of the tears counteracting the coldness of her face. "Just stop."

"You poor thing. You must be hurting so much... Don't you wish you could just... I don't know, let it all out? Have an outlet to express your pain?"

Amy became cautious of his upcoming actions, watching intently as the man released her from the chains. He clicked the large button on his wrist controller and turned to the open deck.

The deck clanged open and slowly separated, allowing the platform below to rise to the surface. Standing on the platform was the mighty robot resembling her ex. Metal Sonic. The violently red eyes blinkered on and shortly focused on his creator and the pink hedgehog.

Amy gasped and took a step back, her back hitting into the chilling metal bars she had been chained against. Her blood ran as cold as her skin against the turbulent winds. Her skills as a fighter would prove to be ineffective against such a formidable robot. And this, Eggman knew.

"What better way to leave Team Sonic, then to die, fighting the man- or rather robot counterpart, that you love?" Eggman sneered.

Swift were the actions of the blue robot, leaping into the air and targeting the pink woman. Unable to comprehend his speed, Amy withheld from summoning her hammer and leapt out of way, onto the open deck where Metal had been standing. Looking back at the robot, she quickly pulled out her weapon and prepared herself for an attack.

He charged for her again, flying in her direction like a bullet to its intended goal. Amy raised her hammer in defence mode and braced herself for impact. They collided, the force taking every bit of strength to counteract. She struggled immensely against the enemy, her arms quaking under the pressure of his power.

Amy grunted, her shoes scraping against the metallic flooring beneath them. His force was relentless, pushing forcibly, and yet with little effort compared to her. His everlasting contemptuous gaze intimidating her and lowered her defenses. With her eyes and mind focused on Metal, she had failed to notice how close to the edge he had pushed her.

Her foot met the edge, making her look behind her at the fathomless drop. She gasped, feeling the pit of her stomach churning at the shift of her footing. Her enemy persisted, pushing her closer to the edge. His power forcing her back to bend. Gritting her teeth, Amy channeled her strength and hurled the robot off of her and swung her hammer towards him aggressively.

"Get her, Metal!" Eggman cried out, grinning widely at the battle.

Amy swung various attacks at the blue bot, getting more aggravated every time he would dodge her attacks. Seeing the metal version of her lover was bringing _him_ to mind. Had he really left her to this fate? To potentially be killed, or at least, get badly injured by Metal? She never wanted to believe what the doctor had said, but how could she not? When she needed her hero most, he was nowhere to be found.

All those years, weeks, and days they had known each other. After everything that happened between them in just this month, he had thrown it all away.

Her negative thoughts had distracted her from the battle. Metal fired a laser towards her, burning the edge of her hammer and snapping her back into reality. He charged at her again, knocking her off her feet. She rolled harshly across the deck and subsequently off the edge.

"Ah!" She yelped, gripping onto the ledge of the flying fortress desperately. She tried to pull herself up, but with Metal sweeping passed her, her endeavours to survive were lessening with every passing moment.

"I hope you're ready for your one way ticket back to land, Pinkie! I warn you, the fall will be a long one!" Eggman called out, following his taunt with hysterical laughter.

Ignoring Eggman once more, Amy mustered her strength to try and pull herself up. She managed to pull one arm over when the metallic hog flew down and slammed his heavy foot against her forearm.

"Aaah!" She screamed, bearing through the crushing pain to remain on the fortress. She gritted her teeth, holding back her cries of agony as the raging pain surged through her arm. Her endurance was wearing thin, but to surrender would mean her death. As Metal persisted on breaking her bone, her grip on the deck loosened.

**Clang!**

The pressure on her arm was instantly levitated as her foe was propelled across the open deck. Metal slammed onto the metal panels beneath him, bouncing and clanking against the floor. Shaking his head, Metal pulled himself onto his hands and knees and looked to the enemy who had performed the powerful blow.

Standing beside Amy, was her hero.

Sonic carefully pulled the woman back onto the Egg Carrier, being cautious of her injured arm. "Are you alright?" He asked softly.

"Yes..." Amy breathed out, flabbergasted to see him. "You really came for me?"

Her question made him raise an eyebrow inquisitively. "You assumed I wouldn't?" He grinned through his offended nature.

She looked away bashfully, ashamed of her previous thoughts. With the help of Doctor Eggman, she had momentarily lost her faith in him. "I- Thank you for saving me."

"Just doing what I do." He said casually, immediately realising his words made her rescue seem more dutiful than personal. Deciding not to dwell on the mistake, he moved his attention to her arm. "How's your arm?" He asked, looking at the redness of her forearm.

Amy followed his gaze, the inflamed area would no doubt develop black bruising in a few days. "I can still fight." She reassured him.

He smiled hopelessly at her and rested his hand against her shoulders gingerly. "I'm more concerned about you, than your ability to fight."

The connection of emerald and jade eyes sparked the impermissible, tempering passion kindling within them. Rampaging flames, scorching to the touch. Such destructive heat was too hazardous to approach.

"Ah, Sonic The Hedgehog. Nice of you to _finally_ join us!" Eggman called out.

Breaking away from the gaze, Sonic returned to his cocky attitude and faced the doctor. "We would'a got here sooner if your bots didn't give us the wrong coordinates!"

Eggman turned to his assistants. "What were the coordinates you gave him?" He questioned them with an angered tone.

Orbot looked to Cubot for the answer. "896,425,37869." Cubot told his boss.

The mad man growled at the robots. "You fools! I said '896,4 **3** 5,37869'! Can't you bolt brains get anything right?!" He waved his fist at the pair, threatening to hit them. His assistants coward, holding onto one another and shaking in terror. Grunting at his aids, Eggman turned back to the blue hedgehog and deterred the blame. "If your brain worked as fast as your feet, you would have known the coordinates change as we move!"

"And if _your_ brain was a big as your waistline, Eggbreath. You'd know that I can hear your conversation from over here!" Sonic crossed his arms and smirked at his nemesis.

Growling with frustration, Eggman stomped his feet in a rage. "You rotten rat! You'll pay for that! Metal Sonic, attack!"

The hedgehogs span around to face the hostile robot, preparing themselves for his attack. He clenched his metallic fists and proceeded to charge at the fighters.

"If you're still up for a fight, I'm gonna need you to tag team." Sonic told the woman beside him.

"You're offence, I'm defence." She replied, keeping her sights on the target.

"Got it."

Metal aimed for the blue hedgehog, copying his organic form's main attack. Sonic raced forward and performed the same move, spin dashing into the incoming metal ball. They rebounded off of one another, then returned the same attack: spin dash and rebound, repeat.

Watching the brawling blue duo, Amy focused on Metal and swung her hammer. She released her attack, launching the weapon at the robot.

**BAM!**

Direct hit to his back. Metal was sent plummeting across the deck, his landing causing a large dent in the floor.

"Hey! Do you have any idea how much it cost for those metal panels?!" Eggman yelled out to the hedgehogs.

"Clearly, it didn't cost you your renovation skills, Doc." Sonic chimed back at him. He looked back to the pink hedgehog and gave her a slightly bashful smile. "Nice attack, _defence._ You were definitely aiming for Metal there, right?"

Her attack had been inches away from also taking him down. "If I wanted to hit you, I would've gotten you. Besides..." She looked away and resummoned her hammer. "I think I've caused you enough damage." She looked at him over her shoulder before rushing forward and getting into battle position.

As tempted as he was to assure her of his own feelings towards what had happened, he knew now could not have been a worse time to get sentimental. He shook his head and got back into the battle, racing forward towards the fallen robot.

"Fire!" Eggman cried out.

Six laser turrets appeared from the lower platform and began to fire an assault of lasers at the blue hedgehog.

"Wha-!" Sonic gasped as he was forced to dodge the firing attacks and the now risen Metal. His laser cannon began to charge in his chest, targeting his arch rival. Thinking quickly, Sonic charged straight for Metal and leapt into the air at the last minute. The lasers from the turrets shot into the charging robot and reacted with his own charging laser beam.

**BOOM!**

Metal Sonic exploded in a spectacular desolation. The sparks of yellow clashing with the fiery red flames billowing outwards into the smog of the mushroom cloud reaching into the sky.

Dropping down to her knees, Amy gripped onto the panels as the harsh blast waves sent mighty gusts of heated wind in her direction, bringing to sickening smell of smoke and melting metal to her nose. She coughed violently as the smoke filled her lungs and suffocated her. Such devastating effects from such a distance. She could only be thankful she had been further away from the devastation.

... Unlike Sonic.

Her eyes widened and darted to the mushroom cloud. "N-no..." She gasped, rushing to her feet, Amy covered her nose with her arms over her face and ran into the smog. "Sonic!" She called out to her beloved hero, instantly coughing as a result of her outcry.

A streak of blue spin dashed towards her. Her hero submerged from the spinning ball and scooped her into his arms. He held her head close to him and brought his communicator to his lips. "Tails!"

"Right flank!" The fox responded.

Understanding the order, Sonic raced to the right side of the Egg Carrier and leapt off the edge. He forced the woman's face into his shoulder as they plummeted down towards the land below. The harsh winds blasting through their quills and took their breaths away.

The pilot circled around and came flying beneath the hedgehogs. He aligned with their fall and caught them in the passenger's seat.

Landing with a thud. Sonic grunted from the impact. He lay horizontal in the seat, his legs hanging over the plane. With Amy locked in a firm grip against him, her body pressed against his own, arms resting on his chest and legs curled inward between his.

His hands gently stroked the woman's hair, reassuring her of their safety and coaxing her off of him.

Rising off of the blue hero, Amy gave him a concerned look. "Are you okay?" She asked frantically, looking for any damages from the explosion and the fall.

He grinned at her. "Don't worry 'bout me. It'll take more than that to get rid of me." He looked down at her arm resting on his chest before looking back at her. "What about you? Are you alright?"

"I am now. Thanks to you." She replied sincerely, smiling with adoration at her hero.

Countless of times he had seen that particular smile, and even now, the sight was refreshing as if brand new. Her smile was captivating him, pulling in all his attention and drowning out the world around him. By the enticement of her enchanting lips, the existence of time became irrelevant.

The beating of their fluttering hearts conflicted against their chests. Hammering two different tunes, but with equal force. Their dancing rhythms heated their huddling bodies, the heat rising to the surface of their cheeks and giving off a red hue.

The pains of the afternoon had been long forgotten by the caress of her hand against his chest. He subconsciously returned the caresses, moving her fallen quills away from her face and running his fingers through her hair. He saw her eyes fall onto his lips, yearning for him just as much as he was for her. Their surroundings, the aches and the anxiety. It had all faded from their minds at the touch of their lips.

A kiss fuelled by the relief to be back in each other's embrace and knotting nerves that had formed in their hesitation to make that daring move and push their issues aside and bask in the affection that had brought them back together. Their lips danced as fiery as their heartbeats, their grip as tight as the knots in their stomachs, their minds equally consumed by the passion they spilled into their kiss.

"Good afternoon, thank you for flying with Miles High Airlines. This is your Captain, Miles Prower, and I'll be flying you to your destination."

Tails's role playing quickly brought the pair to their senses. Breaking their kiss, they turned their heads to the fox. The pilot continued to face forward, for the sight of his brother and close friend getting too friendly right behind me would have resulted in the projection of bile and other stomach contents.

Blushes now deepened, the hedgehog's fixed their positions; with Sonic sitting on the seat and Amy sat across his lap.

"We ask you now to refrain from joining the mile high club and to simply sit back, relax, and keep bodily fluids to a minimal. Thank you again for flying with Miles High Airlines." Tails said.

"Alright. You made your point... Sorry, pal." Sonic apologised.

Amy followed his actions with her own apology. "Yeah. Sorry, Tails."

"When you told me you wanted some in-flight entertainment, I didn't think you were referring to _that_ kinda entertainment." He briefly looking back at the embarrassed couple. "You wouldn't have been getting that entertainment from me. That's for damn sure..."

"Again. Point noted. _Anyway_... Amy's been saved, Eggman's been defeated, Metal's been reduced to a pile of scraps and now, we can head back." Sonic said, wrapping his arms securely around the woman on his lap and smiling up at her as she cuddled him.

A beep sounding from the plane's dashboard silenced the trio. Tails looked down at the screen in front of him clicked on the button. "It's another transmission from Eggman." Tails told the blue leader before silencing himself to listen to the message.

"Ho, ho, ho, ho. You may think you have won the battle, Sonic. But it's not over yet!"

Sonic scowled, furrowing his eyebrows as he continued to listen.

"While you were busy saving that pretty little nymph of yours, my robots were on their way to that precious little orphanage to recruit the little kiddies for my new roboticised army!" He laughed maliciously before the broadcast ended.

"Not the children!" Amy gasped. "We've gotta get there now!"

"Don't worry, we'll make it on time. We're flying with Miles High Airlines after all." Sonic reassured her before turning to his brother. "You know what to do, buddy."

Tails nodded back at the leader. "Just sit back and hold on tight. It's gonna get fast." He told the couple. Closing the canopy over their heads, the fox transformed his plane into attack mode and spiralled down towards the city to stop the robots from getting to the children.

* * *

Flying over the orphanage, the trio could see the Egg Fighters marching down the path, towards the home of the orphans. They marched in rows of five, in four separate lines, their footing in unison with eachother.

Opening the canopy, Sonic jumped onto the wing of the plane. "Tails, you're air force-"

"I mean, that's pretty obvious, isn't it?" Tails shrugged.

"We have no time for your snark, Miles!" Sonic told him. He reached out and grabbed Amy's hand, pulling her into his arms. "Amy, get the kids and the carers evacuated. Egg Fighters can't fly so we have the advantage of keeping all of them on the far side of the field, behind the orphanage. I'll fight off the robots."

"I'm not letting you fight them on your own." Amy said, giving a look of determination to the leader.

"Tails will be covering me."

"So I'm sitting on the sidelines while you two kick butt? We're in this together. For better or worse."

"You'll be protecting the children from any rogue robots."

"But-"

Tails turned back to look at the couple. "Guys, Egg Fighters closing in on the building."

"You're on defence. Don't question me again." He ordered. Nodding back to the fox, Sonic secured his grip around Amy's waist and jumped off the plane. Free falling in front of the robots, Sonic spin dashed to the ground and lowered the girl onto her feet.

Spotting the pair in the way of the orphanage, the Egg Fighters fired their bullets.

Dodging the various bullets heading towards them, Sonic grabbed the girl and dashed to the door of the building. "Get them evacuated."

With the situation now dire, Amy nodded quickly. "Roger."

Barging through the doors, the pink hedgehog spotted a nearby desk and pushed it towards the entrance, ignoring the pain in her arm. With the minor barricade set up, Amy ran through the orphanage in search of the children and staff.

"Mrs The Hedgehog!" Cried a young, crimson lemur from large dining room.

Backing up and peering into the room, Amy found the children huddled in the corner, clinging to one another as the carers guarded them.

"Are all of you here?" Amy asked nobody in particular.

One of the carers, a female walrus nodded back at her. "We heard Eggman ordering his robots to get the children, so we gathered them here."

"You did the right thing." Amy assured the woman and then turned to the children. "Alright, kids. Does anyone remember the first step to becoming a hero?"

"Speed!"

"Muscles!"

"Hope!"

Amy gave a thumbs up to the youngest child standing amongst them. "Well done, Maisy. Right now, I need you all to be the best heroes you can be. Believe in each other and more importantly, believe in yourselves."

"Yeah!" The children cheered, the excitement of being heroes had washed away their fears.

"Excellent! Now hurry. Pair up and run to the back doors. We need to get to the back of the field, okay? Let's see how fast you heroes can be."

With the children now motivated, they got into pairs and raced towards the back of the orphanage and onto the field. Amy followed close behind, holding the small Maisy in hands. The sounds of crashing and explosions came from behind her, though she refused to look back and chose to lead the children by example.

Meeting at the rendezvous point, in front a grand apple tree, the staff counted all the children and gave the all clear to Amy. The pink hedgehog knelt down and brought the children close to her, providing them comfort as Sonic and Tails handled the attack.

On the opposite side of the orphanage, Sonic dashed between the legs of the Egg Fighters, confusing them and causing them to topple over. As they hit the ground, he destroyed them.

"This is hardly a challenge." Sonic grinned, jumping out the way of an incoming attack. He flipped into the air and slammed his foot into the head of the robot, knocking its head into it's circuits and blowing it up into pieces.

Tails swooped down and fired his artillery at the Egg Fighters, rolling out of range to the enemy's own firearms. "Nine Egg Fighters down. Eleven to go."

"Piece of cake." Sonic shrugged carelessly and smirked at his foes.

A dense shadow crept over them, an eclipse hanging over the building. Perplexed by the sudden change in weather, Sonic looked up to find the weather change was actually Eggman's Egg Carrier lowering itself closer and closer to the children's home.

"Hello kiddies. Allow me to formally introduce myself..." Eggman's voice blared through his speakers. "My name is Doctor Eggman and I am the genius who has attacked you and this city countless of times. I look forward to working with you all when you become my permanent workers."

"We'll never work for you!" A child's voice also echoed through the speakers.

"Huh?" Sonic raised an eyebrow. If Eggman was still on the Egg Carrier, how come the children could be heard so clearly?

Unless he was with them?

He gasped and looked to the sky. His communicator was immediately brought to his lips. "Tails, surveillance."

"On it!" The fox flew over the orphanage and was astonished to see Eggman and another set of Egg Fighters heading towards the group of women and children. "Sonic! He's got another load of robots going after them! Eggman's with them too!"

Letting out a frustrated groan, Sonic performed a running start towards the eleven robots and proceeded to spin dash into each one, destroying every Egg Fighter before he jumped over the fence and raced across the field towards Eggman.

"Leave them alone, Eggman. They're innocent." Amy scowled at the man, holding up her hammer defensively.

"Of course they're innocent! There's no satisfaction from recruiting those that are already evil. Don't you know anything about being villainous?" Amy frowned at the doctor. To this, he scratched his head. "On second thoughts, I suppose you wouldn't..." He turned back to pink hedgehog and held out his hand. "Alright, bubblegum. Hand over the kids and I'll leave you in peace."

Dashing to Amy's side, Sonic crossed his arms and gave the doctor a disapproving look. "How about we protect the kids and you leave with your metal squad in pieces?!"

"Hi Sonic!"

"Look, it's Sonic!"

"Yay!"

Hearing the children cheering for him made Sonic look back at them and gave them a brief thumbs up before turning back to his enemy.

Eggman growled with envy. "You will watch your little fans become your enemies, Sonic! Robots, charge!"

The robots marched towards the crowd, cocking their guns in sync.

"Get ready, Ames." Sonic told the woman next to him, signalling his plan to throw her into the bots. Amy nodded back at him, grabbing the end of her hammer and gripping it tightly.

Grabbing the girl's free hand, Sonic span around on the spot before hurling her at the robots. Amy swung her hammer in circles, knocking the Egg Fighters over and quickly jumping back to allow Sonic to finish the job. Slamming into the fallen bots and destroying them with ease.

Running back to Amy's side, Sonic smirked at the doctor and crossed his arms in satisfaction. "You were saying?"

Shaking with rage, Eggman pressed on his wrist controller in hopes to deploy more robots. He was left stunned and disorientated as an apple hit him on the side of his head. "Ow!" He yelped, facing the group of children. "Which 0ne of you threw that?! Didn't your mother's teach you not to throw things at people?!" The mastermind was met with an array of disgusted, disapproving stares. "... Oh right... This is an orphanage..." He mumbled.

"Go team!" Sonic called out to the children, grinning a cocky grin as the kids picked up the fallen apples and threw them at the doctor.

"Ah! Stop! They hurt!" He yelled at the children, covering his face. Their unrelenting assault left the man running for his life. "This isn't the last you've heard from me, you little twerps!" He yelled back at them. Signalling his retreat to his assistants, the doctor escaped in the Egg Mobile and flew to the Egg Carrier, flying the fortress away from the orphanage.

"Huh, I guess the saying's true. An apple a day keeps the doctor away." Sonic said.

"By that logic, he won't be back for awhile." Amy smiled at the blue hedgehog.

Smiling back at her, the couple turned back to the children and carers and celebrated their victory. "With these fighters on our side, I don't think he'll be back any time soon. Great job, team!"

The children cheered and danced around the heroes, waving their arms around excitedly and jumping on the spot.

"Thank you so much for saving us." The walrus bowed her head. "Thank the kind heroes, children."

"Thank you, Mr and Mrs The Hedgehog!"

Again, the couple laughed nervously, understanding the situation of their relationship was still very much complicated. They looked away from one another; Sonic rubbed his nose bashfully and Amy rubbed her wrist.

The walrus sighed and expressed her concerns to the blue leader. "I fear for the children's safety if that mad man does return."

"Don't you worry." Sonic told her soothingly. "We... Uh," For a moment, he spoke with uncertainty. He looked back to Amy, unsure of her decision to stay or leave. There was still so much they needed to talk about. So much that had to be done to correct all their wrong doing.

She looked back at him after noticing his hesitation. Guilt was displayed on her features, knowing his plan to better the lives of the children had been compromised by her insecurities.

The consequences of her actions were effecting much more than just their relationship.

Clearing his throat, Sonic turned back to the walrus and forced a smile on his face. "We've got it covered. We'll keep these kids safe. It's what we do." He told the woman, his eyes moving to the pink hedgehog beside him, only to see her looking back at him.

Hearing the noise of an engine, they looked up to see Tails flying overhead. The fox carefully landed his plane into the field and opened the canopy. He hopped out of the plane and carried a box in his hand. He pulled out a burger and took a bite.

Sonic squinted his eyes, debating whether his eyes were fooling him. "... Did he seriously leave the fight to grab a meh burger?"

Noticing the blue hedgehog staring back at him, Tails looked confused and then held out his burger to offer a bite.

"Miles..." Sonic groaned, facepalming at his brother's antics.

"Oooh a plane!" The children gasped and ran towards the plane, pestering the fox to take them for a ride. From afar, the hedgehogs watched in amusement as their friend was bombarded by little hands waving around in front of him.

A perfect distraction to talk to his lover.

"Ames..." Sonic grabbed her attention. He turned to face her and held her hands. "Don't leave. Please."

She hesitated. Her guilt holding her back from the desire to just jump on him and accept this blessing he was offering her. "But after everything I've done..."

"We can sort it!" He said quickly, unintentionally raising his voice in his desperation. A downhearted sigh came from the blue hedgehog. "Just... stay long enough to hear me out."

The plea in his tone of voice tugged at her heartstrings, bringing the fight of guilt; for her actions vs his grovelling.

This was ridiculous. She should have been the one begging him for consideration, not the others way round. After tearing their whole relationship apart, ruining his plans to build the academy, and instilling her own insecurities into him, she should've been on her hands and knees in a plea for his forgiveness.

Her mind was made up. "Okay." She nodded. "We can go back to mine." She insisted, taking his hand in hers.

He wanted to just take her in his arms, throw away the issues, and make up in the most intimate form.

And because of that irrational thought process, he knew he couldn't go with her.

"Uh..." He looked down shamefully at their hands, regrettably removing his hand from hers. "It's important that we talk about everything... But tomorrow. You know, sleep on it, figure things out..."

Logical as he was, the disappointment was clear on her face. She nodded again, less enthusiastic than the last.

And he knew he wasn't to comfort her now or even reassure her. Because he knew the minute she responded to anything regarding his choice to think things over, he would instantly take back his decision and rush into something complicated all over again.

So he backed off and closed the situation down before he became enthralled by his lover. "So, I'll... see you tomorrow..."

"Yeah. See you tomorrow."

Without thinking, his hand moved her hair away from her face. A gesture she had come to only expect from him. Her eyes met with his, sharing a moment of tenderness. In their silence, the unspoken love words were expressed through their gentle gaze.

With the subtle movement of her lips, he had vanished, his boost of blue being the only indication of his abrupt leave. Looking to the direction of the streak, the girl brushed her fingers through the quill he had moved, reminiscing in the touch she yearned to feel once more.


	10. I Do (Love You)

Chapter Ten: I Do (Love You)

The journey to his lover's home was a deliberately slow, hair-raising expedition. After spending the night in the workshop, many scenarios had played through his head in regards to their reconciliation. His imagination concocted more bad visions than good.

Contradictory to the idea of getting back together, the conversation would be a storm. He already knew this. Emotions were still very much present, and after much consideration, his proposal was going to be the bombshell Amy would not take too kindly to.

He came up with the theory during one of his many runs he had taken in the twenty hours they had been apart. In laymen's terms, Amy was sick, damaged, broken. A wilting rose, seeking the nurturing sunlight. To be showered in love and affection, to feel the gentleness of an appraising florist.

A fragile being, absorbing the love and adoration from others in order to live with herself.

And if she needed the love and acceptance from others to function, just how was she going to react when he told her he was going to take that away?

This particular scene had played so often in his mind, it had made him reluctant to run into the perplexity that had lingered over their relationship since the first kiss. The perplexity of their history. A history of deception, heartache and coverups.

He couldn't run from it anymore. Not after all the damage they had caused to one another. To fix it all, they would have to go back, to go forward.

Meaning he would have to love her at a distance. Like a friend, if you will, until she had enough love for herself to withstand a functional relationship.

As pathetic as it sounded, he didn't believe he was strong enough to face the repercussions of his choice. He was pretty strong willed... Unless he was around her. His dearest, though perfect in his eyes, was a succubus. A master of seduction and charm. From the moment she would begin her enchantment, he would have to resist.

And just how do you say no to such a fine creature?

He felt himself heat up to the images of his lover coming to mind. Seeing her sway her curvaceous hips in a captivatingly leisured fashion, appearing confident in her natural form with her suggestive grin across her feminine features...

A deep breath was released, letting out the heated steam stirring within him. The long night without her beside him hadn't helped his willpower. If anything, it had tripled his yearning and weakened his resistance.

And what about Amy? His theory dictated that their fight would have certainly left her as heartbroken as he was. By informing her of the opportunity to resolve their problems, there would be an inkling of hope instilled within her. Refusing to go back to hers would have potentially left her discouraged, devoid of inner contentment, and therefore ravenous for her dose of reassuring affection.

Verdict; She would be, theoretically, and possibly literally, on her knees, begging him for forgiveness and to allow things to go back to the way they were.

If his theory was in fact correct, she would have been back to her perfectionist ways. Dolled up to the nines, pristine home, a very convincing act of allurement, and overall, an outstanding concept of ideal.

He invoked upon mighty Chaos that this wouldn't be the sight he would be met with. To see her in such a state of vulnerability was enough to finish his wounded heart.

His mind consuming thoughts had brought her to the end of her pathway without premeditation. Looking to the modest exterior of the detached house, the all too familiar tightening of his abdominal muscles left him nauseated. The nerves had kicked in, triggering his instinctive fight or flight response. These nerves that had played such a role in his past interactions with pink hedgehog.

Had he not followed the 'flight' response so often, there was a possibility that all of this could've been avoided.

Though to run had been his making. With a boy's heart, he would run. Feet as swift as the wind itself, billowing all his problems away and whisking him into his own little world; one without compromise and regret. On his journey to manhood, all paths had lead back to her; the world of complexity he had left behind.

And now, as a man, he was ready to face his transgressions against his lover and heal what they had broken.

Inhaling the courage into his system, Sonic stared at her home, his face forming a determined expression. His feet treaded with vigilance, lacking as much haste as they had on the way to her location. He was in the eye of the storm. Nowhere to run, no turning back. The outcome of this conversation carried their future, and he would be damned if he allowed himself to lose her again.

Now stood at the front door, Sonic knocked more forcibly than intended, though it had undoubtedly made his presence known. The very faint sounds of heels clicking against the wooden floor, approaching the door, could be heard. An abrupt pause, an indication that his lover was stood on the other side of the entrance.

Hesitation prolonged their reunion, and assisted the production of agitated nerves. The wood crafted barrier holding them apart was a silent foe, tormenting him with the eternal dormant position.

He was close to just knocking her front door off it's hinges.

Saving him from the torment, his lover finally opened the door...

To prove his theorising had been accurate.

She stood before him, scarcely clad in what he believed was a garment only to be seen in private. An ocean blue, breath constricting, dress. It's tiered, ruffled skirt just covering her upper thighs. The deep plunge neckline leaving her assets on display had instantly captured his attention, along with the sparkling sapphire necklace he had bought for her, succeeding in their attempts to entice him. He reprimanded himself and quickly looked back at her.

His theory could not have been more certain. She was back to masking herself behind her artistic cosmetics. More undeniable than previous looks. An extravagantly sparkling magenta pink eyeshadow, covered by the use of a black eyeliner and exaggerated lashes. A blush pink, glossy hue across her lips finishing her look.

The blue male's mind conveyed a mix of emotions. Her game was strong, enthralling him at the first glance. There was no denying her beauty despite the presentation, and the message behind it. To repress the urge to reverse his choice to call off the sexual side of their relationship was going to be one of his biggest challenges.

But below the surface, it was ultimately a sorrowful sight. There was a pattern to the way Amy represented herself. The more pain she felt within, the more she would style herself to gain approval from those of whom which could provide her with affection. Throughout their time in the trial, she had been graciously enchanting, sophisticatedly tempting.

And now, she appeared to be captivating, but in bad taste.

Because their relationship had been the highlight of her happiness. After his lies had lead her to take the dark path of her past, the consequences of his lies, her actions, their fight, and the long night of chaotic emotions; she was at her lowest.

His heart cracked all over again.

"Hey, you." Amy greeted him, her voice coated in seduction.

The words curled under his tongue as he became involuntarily stunned. His previous warning to himself regarding her masterful charm had fallen on deaf ears and resulted in a stupified condition.

Witnessing her efforts had made such an impact on her hero, Amy giggled. An expression of her success. "Welcome home, blue. I've missed you." She stepped aside and awaited his entrance.

The blue hedgehog wasn't too certain of his actions, but miraculously, he found himself walking into her home and standing behind her in a daze, waiting for her to close the door and walk with him to her desired seating. Upon closing the door, his lover gave him a flirtatious smile as she passed him and walked towards her living room.

He shortly followed, still only half aware of his actions. The comforting fragrances of rose petals sweeped into his nose and eased him, like it had many times before when returning home from his heroic duties. The smell was potent. A sign of a recent cleansing of her home. Just as he expected.

Setting his sights back on the pink woman, he stared at the exposure of her back. The minor fabric covering her bust connected around her neck and exhibited her nape, to the small of her back, just above her purposely swaying hips.

He gulped. Breathing out a tension laced breath, the male distracted himself from the brewing heat rising to colour his cheeks and boiling his blood. His eyes moved down to the black heels. The same black heels she had worn on the night of their date.

... That particularly amatory night, filled with unparalleled passion.

She had him in the palm of her hand. Every little detail had him at her disposal. From the sentiment of the necklace around her neck, the tantalising outfit, her seductive movements, the memory behind her heels and the irresistibly tempting looks she was giving him, his preparation for their talk had been forgotten.

Stood in front of the sofa, Amy turned to face the blue male and took his hands in hers. She sat down and guided him to sit beside her. Obliging to her unspoken command, Sonic took his seat next to her.

"Would you like a drink?" Amy asked, looking to the array of refreshments on the coffee table. "Any snacks?"

His eyes followed hers to the table. Of course, she had set out an assortment of snacks to accompany the drinks; fruit, cookies, sandwiches, cake, juice and water. She was doing everything in her efforts to win him back.

"Uh, no. Thanks though..." He said, focusing back on the pink hedgehog to begin the somewhat dreaded conversation. "I've, uh- been thinking things through..."

"Mm-hmm." She nodded back at him, smiling a fraudulently optimistic smile.

Her facade was good, but not great. The fear danced in her eyes. They held a promise to flood with tears. An emotional threat he knew was inevitable.

Seeing her emotions swirl in her eyes, he gulped. The guilt of potentially hurting her more than he had made him question his choice yet again.

But alas, he persisted in his decision. His preparations had already failed him. He could only hope his already intolerant willpower would save him from stupidity.

With a quivering breath, he continued his proposal. "About our relationship... I-"

"You know." Amy interjected, squeezing his hands to gain his attention. "I've been thinking about our relationship too. In fact, it's all I've been able to think about."

The fear that had been glistening in her eyes had been replaced by dazzling flirtation. She gazed at him, ardent and driven. Ready to pounce.

"How long have we waited for this? This... _yearning_ of ours. All those years we spent trying to quench that need for eachother, in pitiful substitutes." She leaned towards him, moving her hands up his arms. "We don't have to fight this longing anymore, Sonic. We can just... give in."

Attempting to evade her temptation, Sonic leaned back, hoping to scoot backwards and get off of the sofa, away from her. However, her hands on his arms prevented his movements and had caused him to fall back against the cushion instead.

He cursed himself for falling into such a vulnerable position. "Ames-"

"Think about the other night." She insisted, moving over her lover. "The night you made me yours. It was so intense, not even the bed could contain our passion." She spoke with sensuous poise, whispering rapturous words as she got close to his face and hovered her lips over his. "Such wild, unhindered lust."

The strawberry scent associated with the pink female was inhaled deeply, livening his senses and progressively lifted the restraints off of his desire he had desperately tried to hold back.

"Don't you want to feel like that again?" She asked, tone; irresistibly alluring. "I can make you feel like that. I can make you go wild."

He breathed heavily, turning his head slightly in an attempt to deny her advances. "Amy. We've gotta talk about this..." Sonic emphasised the issue. The importance of the discussion had failed to translate into his tone of voice. His own cravings had consumed his mind and the minimal remaining logic was weak against the forces of her performance.

"But you don't want to talk, do you?" Amy responded, enclosing the minor gap between their lips in a brief smouldering kiss. The effects of the momentary affection were visible across his face. "You want me as much as I want you. Don't fight it, Sonic." She spoke quietly and moved her lips over his once more, brushing her lips against his own and causing them to quiver. "Give in."

His hand reached into her hair and pulled her against him, moulding their lips in a ardently charged kiss. The loss of his logic now overlooked, and for the moment, unmourned. He allowed himself to listen to her enticement and give into his carnal needs.

For surely one more time wouldn't harm anyone?

Eager were their fondling and caresses. Heavily breathing through the hungered kiss. He forced himself back up, asserting his authority, and moved her onto his lap. His hands traced her back and her hips, bringing her to press her body against him. Her back arched instinctively to his touch. Her grasp around him tightening in response to the pleasure.

Her legs wrapped around his waist to confine the intimate lock. The sensation of his concealed hands running up and down her body making her squeeze him tighter. She moaned, joyous and content. The night without his touch had left her starved for attention. The power of his contact was enough to satisfy her even then, but for him, she would happily gorge.

In his primitive state, he forced the fabric down from the back of her neck and left it to rest on her hips, leaving her upper body exposed before him. He took a moment to admire her before his fondling travelled to her bust. The attention had caused her to break free from the kiss and tip her head back to sound her gratification. Her sounds boosted his wild stirrings as her proceeded to move forward to kiss her neck.

She gasped, clinging to him harshly to withstand the blissful sensation. Her mind in a haze, she closed her eyes and relished in the feeling.

"I love you." Amy said in her dazed stupor.

Hearing those words had delivered him back to the task at hand, to the main reason he was there. How foolish he had been to disregard his senses and give in so easily to her. He had made the conversation of disbanding their sexual relationship a whole lot more difficult.

Pulling away from the girl, Sonic breathed out a heavy sigh and looked away in his annoyance. He saw this coming. He knew what to do when this happened, and yet, he had failed to stop it.

"Sonic?" The woman questioned, looking concerned and returning to the fearful condition she had been in previously.

"I'm sorry. We can't do this."

She breathed out a short, disordered breath. "C'mon, Sonic. I know you want this." She attempted to persuade him. Her anxiety began to seep through the cracks of her seductive demeanour.

Now adamant, Sonic carefully moved her off of his lap and got up to ensure she couldn't try the same technique. "It's not about what I want. I came here to sort this out. To sort **us** out."

"And we can." She told him, rising off the sofa and approaching him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and stared deeply into his eyes. "We can let our bodies do the talking."

Her determination to keep away from the conversation of their relationship aggravated him. "God, Amy. Just can it, would ya?" He protested, pulling her arms off his shoulders and turning away from her. "Since when did you start trying to fix problems like this?!"

Embarrassed and red-faced, Amy fixed her attire and held herself, hiding her assets and holding onto the little dignity she had.

"Just look at you!" He scowled at her, scolding her like a father to his child. "This isn't you!"

"I didn't hear you complaining just a few seconds ago." Amy argued.

Sonic rubbed his temples, knowing she was right. His tone softened. "But we both know what this is. The makeup, the outfit, the excessive cleaning, and the hosting. It's all an act to feel something. To feel wanted."

The pink hedgehog scoffed and laughed at his accusation. "Is that right? I go out of my way to look nice for you and cater for you, and that simply means I'm desperate?"

"Yeah. It does." He crossed his arms, frowning at her denial.

Again, she scoffed at his audacity. "If this is your way of reconciling, you're doing a great job." said sarcastically, shaking her head in disbelief.

His approach was ineffective. If he was to keep her compliant, he had to keep his own emotions in check.

Inhaling, he calmed his agitation and unfolded his arms. "Look, I love you, alright? And I admit, at the start of the whole trial thing, I used you. I wanted to get as much from you as I could and then go back to being friends. I didn't think about the consequences. I didn't even think about how you'd feel about it. I only thought about what was best for me, and I'm sorry... I want to fix this. I want to be with you, and to be together... We need to... Go back."

"Go back?" She said with concern. "W-what do you mean, 'go back'? Go back to what?" The pounding of her heart increased drastically to the inkling she felt rampaging through her mind. She became nauseated. Sickened by thought. "I-I don't understand. You said you wanted to fix this."

"And I do! But you're not ready for a relationship, Ames."

Her denial was displayed through her laughter. "You're kidding, aren't you? _I'm_ not ready for a relationship?! Seriously?!" She paced around, baffled and irked before coming to a halt in front of him. "I have always been ready. I have sacrificed a lot to be with you. I changed myself to be with you-"

"The change is the problem! You've been so caught up in trying to be this perfect woman, you've lost who you are!"

"You never noticed me before I changed!" She yelled back at him. "You were never interested in that naive child who loved all things cute. The good girl who loved to bake, and pick flowers, or have tea parties. You wanted a woman, I grew up to become a woman. And now you're telling me that I'm not ready, and we have to go back to go forward?"

He bit his tongue and gave her words some much needed consideration. He had ignored her romantically for years, prior to the age of sixteen, edging onto seventeen. It had not been because of her hobbies or interests, but her intensity. Her emotional maturity still in the making, much like his own, made her desires to become his wife overbearing and in that time, a repellent.

Two children, too irresponsible for commitment. It was only now, at twenty-five, he found himself willing to consider the responsibilities.

"But that's not what happened, was it?" He looked into her eyes and dragged out the vulnerable girl hiding behind her facade. "You didn't grow into the woman you are now. You forced yourself to mature too quickly and it's lead to you losing yourself and hating who you've become. You need help, Ames. To learn how to let go of everything you did and how to love yourself for who you are."

Amy stepped back, his gaze leaving her feeling even more vulnerable than she was. Turning away from him, she crossed her arms and held onto her fraudulence. "There's nothing wrong with me..." She said defensively.

"Amy-"

"No!" She span around to face him, too quickly to hide her emotions. The tears fell from her eyes as she turned to her hero. "How dare you come here and accuse me of having issues! Yes, I've done things I'm not particularly proud of, by hasn't everyone?! You really have the nerve to stand there and act like you're perfect? That you have no regrets?"

Keeping level headed, Sonic expressed no particular emotion. "I never said that-"

"You just implied it." She said in a bitter tone. "I don't 'need help'. I'm fine."

He nodded back at her. "Okay. So I guess you were lying when you told me you have no interest in Shadow? That you do, in fact, love yourself, and the guys you said took advantage of you? Eh, that was just you having a good time."

Her head lowered, the shame shrouding over her.

"You said your self loathing lead you to seek out the love you were missing. You and I both know that isn't healthy. You've already proven you'll destroy everything you've built to feel remotely desired. As much as I love you, I'm not gonna jump into a full blown relationship and wait for you to destruct again."

"I won't do it again! It was one fucking mistake!"

"And I'm trying to make sure that never happens again! Amy, if you're not gonna help me, help you, I'm sorry but you're on your own."Just hearing the ultimatum brought a deathly silence between them. She stared back at him, horrified. A downpour of tears cascading down her cheeks.

It wasn't what he wanted. Far from it. Their future and happiness all relying on her decision to get help. By reading her petrified face, the answer was unknown.

He stepped in front of her and held her hand gingerly. "I'll be right by your side through it all. All you have to do is learn to love yourself."

The pink woman looked down at their entwined hands before looking back at her lover. "... How?"

Sonic hesitated, predicting the rejection of the proposal. Swallowing the nerves down, he held his eye contact. "Until you learn to love who you are, our relationship needs to be... friendly."

The fright widened her eyes. "F-friends?" She choked. More tears proceeded to fall down her cheeks as she shook her head in defiance. "You really are breaking up with me."

"I'm not. We're still together, we just won't be physical for awhile, that's all. We'll get whatever help it takes for us to work. But you'll have to stop relying on me or anyone else to love you."

Shaking her head, Amy sobbed softly and clinged onto Sonic's arms. "Sonic, please. I-I'm fine. I swear to you, I'm fine."

He knew her response was out of fear. It had been so many years she had relied on others, to find it within was to be a gruelling, potentially catastrophic challenge.

But he had said his wishes for their relationship to work. Her rejection was her choice and furthermore, her regret.

Reluctantly, Sonic removed her hands from his arms and held her hands tenderly. He rubbed his thumbs over them and looked down at the hold, taking in the feeling of her hands in his. "Then I guess we're done here..." He sighed, kissing his forehead one more time in a bittersweet goodbye.

His hands were released from hers, stepping back from the pink female and slowly turning on his heel towards the exit. His heart wore heavy, holding him back from running from the pain. The pumping organ clinged to the possibility of his lover changing her mind. That she'd take the chance to better herself and fight for their relationship.

But still she remained, watching him leave for the last time. Her body trembled violently, the inner battle crying out for him, while the fear held her back. Both worthy sides to her conflict. However, one carrying more sacrifice than the other.

To let him leave, she would lose everything. To fight, she would take on the biggest challenge in her life.

And he would be right by her side through it all.

In a panic, Amy rushed over and grabbed his hand to stop him from leaving. She squeezed it desperately. "No. Don't go, please." She begged.

A rush of relief came and passed him. She may have stopped him, but looking back at her once more, he could see the fear still showing itself in her eyes. Was it fear of him leaving, or fear of change?

"I can't be with you until you learn." He said solemnly, his stern expression held little tolerance.

She gulped back her sobs. "I-I know I've made mistakes, b-but I won't do it again, I promise... Just please don't leave!" Her hands moved to his face, caressing his cheeks while looking deep into his eyes. "I'll be the perfect woman for you. I can be who you need me to be. Just love me... Please."

Her hysteria held the truth she herself had denied. She was so deeply set in her ways of self loathing, to change herself for love was more familiar than to love herself.

And it was harrowing to see her beg for the thing she needed the most.

He took her hands back into his. "I don't need you to be perfect. I never have. I need you to be you."

Letting out a quiet sob, Amy nodded profusely. "I'll do it." She croaked. "Whatever it takes."

Smiling with gratitude, Sonic embraced the crying woman. "Thank you."

His lover sniffled, blinking away the forming tears. "I'm scared." She whimpered.

Sonic kissed her forehead reassuringly. "I know. But I'll be with you through it all. We'll get through this, no worries." He soothed her.

Resting her head against his shoulder, the vulnerable woman reflected on her lover's reassurance and pondered the unforeseeable future.

The unshakeable feeling of failure played on her mind. Without the love from her hero, the road to finding herself would be the most grievous tribulation she would have to face.

For Sonic, she would do it. With time, she would be doing this for herself.

* * *

On the path to self love, there were many enlightening factors to learn and experience. A key factor being the number of layers somebody could really be concealing behind a perfected smile. To peel back each defensive wall could lead to the collapsing debris to fall on those trying to free the captive from their own making.

The first few months had been a raging tempest. The highest hurdle that had almost cost their relationship. Stripping her of amorous affection and keeping romantic gestures to a minimal, his beloved had become unrecognisable. A victim to her insecurities.

First came the enhancement of her attempts of seduction, followed by the hostility she presented to rejection. Then came the paranoia triggered by her insecurities; accusations and meaningless fights of his whereabouts and imagined affairs.

It had really taken a toll on him and his tolerance. No matter how supportive he had been, it seemed she was getting worse. Her tears were eternal, her misery ever more. Countless days and nights, he would hold her and listen to her spill false truths she believed about herself. How she was useless, how he was better off without her, that she would never be good enough for him. It destroyed him. To feel the pain she expressed, to know just how she saw herself.

And to think he had played a part in her self portrayal filled him with guilt and shame, growing a little more with every tearful heart to heart.

Around the sixth month, he had began to question his own involvement in her healing. The accusations and outbursts all implied his part in her deteriorating health. He believed she blamed him for everything. Because of this, he had made the decision to leave her and to allow her to heal in however she saw suitable.

That had been until the real culprit behind her depleted self-esteem came to light.

Thanks to the help of their relationship counsellor, he discovered she hadn't been talking about him during her breakdowns, she had been referring to her parents and their treatment against her. In truth, her insecurities stemmed back all the way to childhood, before meeting him. The neglect and daily emotional abuse from both parents had made her believe she was never good enough.

And to make up for that neglect, she had done everything in her power to receive affection.

It all made sense from then on.

There was doubt he did have some accountability for her self esteem too. But knowing the full extent of her pain and working through it with her, he began to channel the right energy into her recovery.

No longer plagued with remorse, and receiving the help he needed to help her, there was a gradual change in the pink hedgehog. She received individual sessions to get over her childhood traumas, coupled sessions to help their communication, and took part in activities; alone and as a couple, to help build her esteem.

Slowly, but surely, she flourished.

By Chaos, she flourished. Like a phoenix, she rose from the ashes of her past and prospered into the truly perfected version of herself. He fell in love with her all over again, and together, their relationship thrived.

The restoration of their relationship didn't come without sacrifices however. Healing his beloved and their love had put their plans for the academy on hold. After two years of focusing on themselves, they were ready to begin the future. With their joint funding, the academy had first been established as a community centre. A humble building they had used to provide defence classes, team building exercises, and general games for children. Once word spread of their establishment, they had been granted funding to renovate the building and extend the exterior to the grand academy they had longed for.

And with a now grand scale academy, came more children. More children lead to more activities; the mini workshop, run by Tails, consisted of codebreakers, science lessons, and engineering. Cream taught the children home economics. Knuckles, with little patience, partook in the training and taught the history of the Chaos emeralds.

As for Sonic and Amy, the overseers of the academy, were often referred to as the parents by the children. Taking more versatile roles, they were often seen in the training sessions or running the games when they weren't taking care of the business side of running the organisation.

Three years into the establishment, they had successfully taught numerous children how to defend themselves, and had recruited twelve elite students onto their team, with many more in the making.

But for one day, that was to put on hold.

"Sonic?" His brother's voice alerted the blue hedgehog out of his daydreaming. He looked into the mirror in front of him, looking to the side to see the fox standing behind him, formally dressed in a navy blue suit jacket, white shirt and burgundy bow tie. He stood with an irritated look on his face, directed at the blue leader.

Grinning, Sonic turned back to his best friend. "S'up, bud?"

"Oh nothing... Just trying to get hundreds of running, screaming kids dressed and presentable, all the while maintaining my remaining sanity and try not to lose my cool with them... So the usual really." He sighed, exasperated.

Sonic chuckled, empathising with him. He was well aware how chaotic the children could be. "I'm ready now, anyway. I'll get those lot in order." He looked down at his own attire. Black tuxedo jacket with a white shirt beneath and matching black bow tie. A burgundy rose boutonniere attached to his suit as a finishing accessory, and to match his famously red shoes he had insisted on keeping despite the occasion. "How do I look?"

"Oh." Tails gasped, realising he had been so caught up in his rambling, he had forgotten to acknowledge his best friend's outfit. "You look good."

"Good? Tails, a groom's gotta look better than good for his own weddin'." Sonic informed him, looking back at himself in the mirror and checking out his groomed quills.

"Sorry. You look striking, majestic, regal."

"Better."

Slumping into the office swivel chair, Tails rubbed his temples. "Sorry, Sonic. I'm not trying to dampen your big day. Those kids are just killing me. I swear, they're enough to put anyone off of having kids!"

Snorting slightly, Sonic smirked as he looked down, hiding his giddiness. "Well, uh, I dunno about that..." His grin grew instantaneously.

Hearing the enthusiasm in his tone of voice, Tails turned back to the hedgehog and witnessed his wide grin in the mirror. He raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What's that supposed to mean?"

The blue male chuckled once more, too excited to attain the big news. "I can't change your mind about being a dad but... How about an uncle?"

"Huh?" Tails scrunched his nose in his confusion. It took a moment for him to understand the meaning behind his brother's words. To be an uncle, Sonic would be- "No!" Tails gasped. His laughter confirmed the theory. "Is Amy...?"

"Carrying Sonic junior? Oh yeah." He turned back to his younger brother, his grin reaching maximum growth.

Astounded by the news, Tails gawped, wide eyed and mouth agape. "I... Wow... I can't believe it." He chuckled breathlessly in his shock. "How far along is she?"

"Only ten weeks. I wasn't supposed to tell anyone but as my bro, you get a share in the hype. "

Overjoyed for the blue hedgehog, Tails got up from his seat and pulled him into a brief hug. "Congratulations, man." He said, releasing him from the hug. "I take it you're pretty psyched about it?"

"You kidding? I can't wait! We've talked about having a kid a few times before and now it's happening! I already bought a bunch of stuff for Junior."

"You're gonna call the baby, Junior?" Tails asked, hiding his disapproval.

"Nah. That's my nickname for the little guy."

"So you know it's a boy?"

Sonic smirked and waved his finger, "Biology, my dear, Miles. According to the factual findings of the internet, by Amy's lack of nausea and lack mood swings, that indicates low levels of estrogen; the female hormone. _This_ could only mean she is carrying a boy!"

The fox stared in bemusement. "Did you get a diploma in biology from the internet too?"

Acknowledging the sarcasm, Sonic frowned. "Joke all you want. But when we reveal it's a boy, you're gonna be calling me Professor Sonic T Hedgehog."

"Whatever you say, Professor."

A harsh knocking on the door startled the men. Not waiting for an answer, Knuckles barged into the room and immediately aimed his glare at the fox. "What're you doing?! I told you to see if Sonic was ready, not buddy it up in here!" His attention momentarily turned to the groom to compliment him. "Looking good, dude."

"Thanks, Knux."

Knuckles returned to glaring at Tails. Smiling sheepishly, the genius scratched his head. "I kinda got distracted... Sonic's got some news."

The echidna turned to the hedgehog once more, awaiting to hear the fuss. Bothered by his brother's big mouth, the groom slowly turned to glare at his best friend.

"What it is?" Knuckles questioned the pair.

Rolling his eyes, Sonic brought the smile back to his face. "Amy's pregnant."

The red male appeared as surprised as Tails had been. "She's what?"

"It means she's carrying a baby." Tails explained, cocky in his attitude.

"I know what it means!" Knuckles snapped back. He walked to the blue hedgehog and patted him on the back. "Congrats. So was it an accident or...?"

"What kinda question is that?!" Sonic frowned.

"Accident then?" Knuckles crossed his arms quizzically.

"Yeah, that reaction definitely says accident." Tails joined in, nodding along with the guardian.

"He's an unexpected, but happily accepted, surprise." Sonic said, crossing his arms while looking displeased at his friend's questioning.

"So it's a boy?" Knuckles asked as the men began to leave the room.

"Don't get him started..." Tails warned the echidna, rolling his eyes at the blue hedgehog's assured nod.

Walking back into the main hall, the trio were met with disorganised children, both running and flying around the room. The unruly children boisterously screamed and laughed as they played, unaware of the blue leader's entrance.

"HEY!" Sonic bellowed into the room. The children froze and turned to see the blue hedgehog standing in front of Knuckles and Tails. They immediately got in line and stood quietly, looking straight ahead.

He walked slowly passed each child, examining the condition of their formal outfits. The girls wore an assortment of burgundy dresses while the boys were adorned in navy blue suits, just like Tails and Knuckles. After reviewing the condition of their clothing, Sonic smiled and gave them a thumbs up.

"Lookin' good, team." Sonic said enthusiastically. The children giggled and smiled back at him, stilling motionless until given the command to move.

Hearing another knock to the side door, Sonic dashed to the entrance and opened the door to see Eggman and his assistants standing on the other side.

"Eggman!" Sonic gasped. He looked over his shoulder and summoned the children. "Kids!"

Huddling behind the leader, the children got into battle positions and pulled out an apple each.

"Wait!" Eggman cried. "For once, I'm not here to destroy you."

Though wary, Sonic gave the signal to lower the fruit. "Then what do you want?"

"Precisely sixty one months, one thousand, eight hundred and fifty six days, and forty-four thousand, four hundred and forty-four hours ago, I proceeded to kidnap that bubble gum furball. Predominantly, preventing her from leaving you and allowing your relationship to blossom. As your match maker, I deserve to be at your wedding!"

Sonic groaned. "How do I know this isn't apart of some scheme to ruin our big day?"

"You're getting married. If you ask me, you're ruining your life ten times over all by yourself." Eggman said, humourless. He pulled out a gift from behind his back. "I even got you a gift! And I'm dressed for the occasion."

Cautiously taking the gift, Sonic examined the outer layer of white paper and red ribbon. He shook it gently, hearing the minor rattling inside. He huffed, finding no particular bad signs as of yet. Looking back to the doctor, he examined his attire. A black suit and matching tie and questionable red and green, tartan plaid kilt, black socks rising to his knees and black shiny shoes.

With a sigh, Sonic nodded. "Fine. You can come. But if you try anything, those apples are going straight to your head!"

"Understood."

Turning back to everyone in the room, Sonic gestured for them to follow. "Alright, guys. Let's move out."

In line, the children walked through the academy and out of the main entrance. Leading the group of children, the trio guided them to the meadow, outside of Station Square. The meadow where their relationship had first started.

* * *

"I am smart, I am beautiful, I am worth it." Amy breathed in deeply, repeating the words over and over to her reflection. The continual self care exercises filled her with the confidence she needed to make it through the day. Years of dreaming of this day had left her both ecstatic and jittery with nerves.

Today, she would become Mrs Amy Rose, The Hedgehog. Wife of Sonic The Hedgehog, and soon, the mother of his child.

The thought alone was getting her emotional.

She fanned the tears away from her eyes, trying profusely to prevent tear stains lining her cheeks. Given her condition was making her weep over nothing, she made sure to fashion herself in waterproof makeup. Ensuring a picture ready bride, no matter how tearful.

Her cosmetics were minimal, waterproof mascara, fair pink blush, and blush pink lipstick. A natural, modest look.

Being more opulent with her choice of headdress, the pink female had pinned her cascading, relaxed, and wavy quills half up and placed a crystal and pearl encrusted headpiece around her head. On top of the headpiece, was her tulle veil, appliqued with a laced, ivory flower design.

The opulence of her bridal hair appropriately coordinated with her tulle, princess, A-line dress with an off-shoulder sweetheart neckline and 3/4 length tulle sleeves. Embroidered on the bodice were lace, flower detailing and beading, surrounding the tulle pleating decorating the front. Turning to face the back, she admired the cross straps plaiting down. A truly royal fitting dress.

She was grateful to be only ten weeks along in her pregnancy. Any further, she would likely have been too swollen to move in the dress she had picked months ago.

Her bridesmaids entered her room with champagne glasses in hand. They stopped by the door to appreciate the bride's dress.

"Don't we look stunning? Sonic's a lucky guy." Rouge commented.

"You look just like a princess, Amy." Cream smiled.

Amy twirled around to face her friends. Both adorned in strapless chiffon bridesmaid dresses; Rouge in navy blue and Cream in burgundy. She smiled at them in appreciation. "Thank you, girls. I feel like a million rings in this dress." She smiled, lifting the dress and twirling around some more. "I hope Sonic likes it too."

"Believe me, pink. Once he sees you, he's gonna wish he married you a long time ago." The bat said, holding out a glass to the bride. "Let's have a toast. To the bride." She held up her glass.

Cream followed suit. "To the bride."

Raising her glass, Amy hesitated to drink. Her condition was still unknown to the girls. However, looking down at the drink, it appeared to be juice.

Leering over at the bride, Rouge smirked against her glass. "Not thirsty?"

The woman smiled coyly. "I just don't wanna get tipsy before the wedding."

"I didn't realise you were that much of a lightweight." Her bridesmaids shrugged. "But rest assured, it's only juice. Now that I'm pregnant, I'm not supposed to drink." She said casually, tipping her head back and finishing her drink.

Amy and Cream stared at the bat in bewilderment, stunned into silence. Looking back at the two gawping girls, Rouge shrugged. "What?"

"You're pregnant?"

"Yeah, unfortunately. I was planning on getting drunk for the occasion, but _that's_ clearly not happening now."

Delighted, Amy squealed. "Oh my gosh! I'm so happy for you!" She cheered, already thinking of her child having play dates with Rouge's offspring. "How far along?"

"Six weeks. Only found out four days ago- But let's not talk about it. I don't wanna steal your thunder today."

"But this is such a big deal! Have you told Knuckles? Is he excited? - It is Knuckles' baby, right?"

Rouge glared at the hedgehog offensively. " _Yes_ , he's the dad. I haven't told him though. Don't think I want to either."

"Why?" Cream and Amy chimed.

Uneasy by the questioning, Rouge stepped back in her discomfort. "Because I'm still trying to get my head around it. Last thing I need is hot head going off in a rampage about it."

Walking towards the bat, Amy held her hand and comforted her friend. "Rouge, he'll find out eventually. Besides, Knuckles is good at looking after kids. He does it often enough. Sure he may be a little shocked at first, but he'll come round. If you tell him sooner rather than later, he'll have more time to adjust."

Cogitating over her words, Rouge eventually gave in with a sigh. "Alright. I'll tell him. But since I'm having a baby, I expect you two to join me." She smirked.

"You don't have to worry about that..." Amy spoke subconsciously, immediately regretting her actions. "B-because we're wanting our own baby too." She laughed nervously, just barely making a passable lie.

"Then that just leaves you, Cream."

The rabbit tittered. "I'm not planning on being a mother at twenty one."

"Ugh, young and childless. How I envy you." Rouge sighed. "Come on, let's get you married off so we can both be old and child bearing." She said, taking Amy's hand and carefully leading her out the room to get their heels and bouquets ready before they left for the ceremony.

* * *

Waiting for the bride to make her appearance, Sonic and Tails stood by the grand, sentimental oak tree, draped in chiffon to create a rustic wedding arch. Garlands of red wine coloured roses and white lillies attached to the drapes added to the romantic atmosphere.

It was the exact spot where it had all began. He looked down at bottom of the trunk, reminiscing in the memories he and his wife-to-be had spent their time out; napping, laughing and loving one another, away from the world.

It was hard to believe it had been five years since she had proposed their marriage trial.

Looking around the meadow, he watched the wildflowers shining in the sunlight. Unchanged by time. Still just as he remembered it.

"We're all set, Sonic." Vector said, awakening the hedgehog from his floral admiration. Sonic looked to the man holding a violin in hand. A quick glance behind him showed a Chaotix string trio.

"Hey, thanks for doing this, Vector. We appreciate it." Sonic thanked the leader of the group.

"Anytime!" The crocodile smiled. "Though, uh, we do charge extra on the weekends."

"Course ya do..." The hedgehog smirked to cover his annoyance and shook the man's hand. Vector bowed his head in gratitude and walked back to the chairs set up for their performance.

Seeing through Sonic's fake smile, Tails placed his hand on the groom's shoulder. "No worries. As soon as you see Amy, you'll forget all the stress."

Sonic nodded, flashing a more genuine smile to the fox. "I feel kinda giddy about it." He laughed nervously.

"Sounds like normal wedding jitters to me. As long as you don't weep with an ugly crying face, you're all good." Tails said.

Sonic scoffed. "Sonic The Hedgehog doesn't cry."

"Yeah, sure you don't."

Rushing down the rose petal covered aisle, Knuckles stopped in front of the blue hedgehog. "They're coming!"

The duo stared at him in their confusion. "Then what are you doing over here?" Sonic asked. "You're supposed to be giving Amy away."

Knuckles blinked. "I am?"

Frustrated, Sonic groaned and pointed down the aisle. "Go and meet them!"

"Alright... Keep your quills in..." The guardian hushed the tense groom and ran back down the aisle to find the bride.

His best friend leaned over and whispered softly. "Focus on your bride. Your bride is coming." He said, calming down the frustrated groom instantly. He nodded his head to express his gratitude.

Tails briefly nodded back before signalling the Chaotix to play. As the musicians started to play, the guests stood from their seats and turned back to the direction of the approaching bride.

He froze. The anticipation of seeing his bride leaving him paralysed. His mind played the memories of his beloved through the ages. From the moment they met, their adventures as friends, the ups and downs of their relationship, and all the choices that had lead up to this very moment.

A soothing sense of fulfillment washed over him, along with an overwhelming rush of euphoria. The building tears glazed his eyes, coming close to unleashing a flood of happiness.

"Sonic..." Tails gasped. "She's here." He told the blue male, staring in awe at the bride.

"I can't look." Sonic whispered, attempting to blink the tears away.

The fox looked back at his best friend, seeing his glazed eyes. He grinned. "What was that about not crying?"

"Shut up."

Walking down the aisle, Amy clinged to Knuckles's arm and desperately tried to hold back her own tears. The same emotions effecting her husband also played on her untameable emotions. "I can do this... I can do this..."

"Course you can do this. You only gotta walk down an aisle." Knuckles said, making light of the situation.

Amy glared at him before turning her attention back to her husband. "When you get married, you'll understand."

"Pfft. Don't count on it. I'm not signing my life away for anyone."

She smiled a smug smile. "We'll see."

Witnessing the pink hedgehog walking passed, Eggman wiped away a stray tear.

"Aw, boss. Are you crying?" Orbot asked.

"Heh?! No!" The doctor lied, pulling out a handkerchief from his pocket. "It's these damn flowers everywhere! Who gets married in a meadow anyway?!" He frowned, blowing his nose brashly.

As the bride reached her groom, the blue hedgehog battled his tears. The euphoric emotions keeping him from turning to his lover.

"Sonic." Tails warned his best friend.

He exhaled a quivering breath and looked up through the lightly swaying leaves. There was no fighting these emotions taking over him. The likelihood of bawling his eyes out on sight was high. Most definite.

"Sonic." Knuckles said, taking Amy's hand and holding it towards the blue hedgehog.

With no other option but to face his soon-to-be wife, Sonic breathed out one more time before turning to face his beloved.

He lost his breath.

"Geez..." He muttered breathlessly, spinning back to his best friend and breaking into euphoric tears. He covered his face, hiding his uncontrollable bawling. The notion to breathe had gotten lost in his scrambled mind, leaving him woozy.

"Sonic?" Amy placed her hand on his shoulder, coaxing him to turn around.

Forcing himself to suck it up, Sonic looked back to his wife. The joy in his heart swelled in his heart at the sight of her. The flawlessness that she portrayed was strong enough to stop his heart right there and then. She was beautiful. Breathtakingly beautiful.

She smiled back at him, tears also rolling down her cheeks. Even the projection of her emotions failed to mask her beauty.

Unable to hold back, nor hide his happiness, he cried with glee, pulling his bride into a loving embrace. She happily accepted his hug. Wrapping her arms around her neck and laughing softly to their emotional reunion.

Pulling away from the pink female, Sonic placed his hands on her face and caressed her cheek with his thumb. "You look amazing." He whispered to her, too overcome with happiness to speak at usual volume.

She giggled. "Thank you. You look handsome."

"Nothing new then." He teased, chuckling quietly along with his bride. Resting his forehead against hers, the blue hero slowly shortened the gap between their lips, kissing her tenderly.

"Alright, you two. We haven't even gotten to the I do's yet." The fox intervened. He signals the Chaotix to stop playing, the music gradually died out in the background.

Breaking their kiss, Sonic nuzzled his nose playfully against hers, making Amy giggle once more. "How're my babies?" He asked.

Amy's eyes darted to the fox standing beside them before focusing back on her groom.

"Sonic told me." Tails leaned forward and whispered to the pink hedgehog. "Congratulations by the way."

Again, she stared at her lover.

"He's my brother. I can't keep family out of the loop." Sonic said in his defence, smiling brightly.

Tails leaned forward once more. "Knuckles knows too."

Amy looked to Sonic in disappointment. "We promised to keep it a secret." She shook her head to Sonic's sheepish smile. Changing her disappointed expression to a smirk, she leaned over and muttered to Sonic. "Speaking of secrets, I have something to tell you after this."

Intrigued, Tails announced an interlude in the ceremony. "There will be a short delay, ladies and gentlemen." He called out to the guest. With the guests chattering away, the fox leaned in between the couple. "What's the gossip?"

Amused by the genius' interest, Amy smiled at her friend and gave little detail of the news. "We're not the only ones expecting." She spoke quietly, sneering at the surprised faces of Sonic and Tails.

The fox became suddenly frightful. "It's not Cream, is it?"

Hearing the horror in his tone of voice, Sonic slowly turned to his best friend and smirked. "Why would that concern you?" He examined the male's uneasiness. "... You wouldn't happen to be seeing the girl on the down low, are ya?"

"Right!" Tails clapped his hands and grabbed the attention of the guests. "Thank you for waiting. On with the ceremony."

Smirking at one another, the couple joined hands and faced the fox.

"Dearly beloved. We gather here today to bear witness to the joining of Sonic The Hedgehog, and Amy Rose. It is not by convenience that you have been invited to this ceremony. We represent important figures in either individual, or the collective lives of these two amazing people. I can't think of a more sentimental, cherished venue to bind these lovers. Here, where their love first blossomed. We are all truly blessed and honoured to become a part of the memory of your love story."

The wailing of the mad doctor forced everybody to turn and face him. "What? It's my allergies..." He sniffled, ignoring the disgruntled stares and facing forward.

Amy slowly turned to the blue hedgehog. "What's _he_ doing here?"

"I'll explain after." He mumbled to her, looking to the officiant to continue.

Clearing his throat, Tails captured the attention of the guests once again. "It's a remarkable moment in life, to meet that special someone who makes you feel complete. That one person who holds the power to make the world a truly magical place. The only person with whom you share such a strong bond with, that it surpasses any other relationship; albeit friend, or family. And you find yourself unable to imagine another day without them by your side."

Gently squeezing his bride's hand, Sonic flashed a tender smile her way.

"For this couple, this bond was planted nineteen years ago, at ages; eight and eleven. A lifelong friendship, nourished by time and nurtured by memories, soon became an everlasting love for one another. One which cannot be denied. I have personally had the pleasure of seeing this love grow at first hand. As Sonic's best friend, and brother, I know in my own heart, that this right here, is what true love looks like."

Wiping a tear away from his eye, Tails moved onto the love story of the couple. "Now, uh, I've been specifically authorized by the groom to keep this as casual as possible to protect his reputation. But as we've all witnessed from the procession, his reputation as the tear-free hedgehog is now a lie."

He and the rest of the attendance laughed faintly. The blush on Sonic's face adding to the humour.

"But the truth is, their love story is much less a fairytale. I do wish to portray their story as a magical fiction to set expectations from. Because that's not real love. Love is not a fairytale. Love is a unit. It involves team work, compromise, sacrifice. Love is choice. You choose to fight for it, or to not. This couple have ridden through storms, hit hurdles many of us would not dare to cross. They have continued to fight for one another and through their differences, they have flourished." He looked to the couple and smiled. "These two have created a future that not only allows them to prosper, but allows all of us to become our best selves. For that, we all thank you."

Nodding back at the officiant, the couple squeezed each others hands again for comfort.

"So, without further ado, I shall stop my blabbering and allow these lovebirds to get a word in." Tails chuckled, bowing his head to his brother to signal the exchange of vows.

With a nerved breath, Sonic turned to his lover and took a moment to remember his vows.

"Please don't tell me you're winging it." Amy said quietly.

"I revised it." He told her. Partially truthful were his words. Some of his vows had been erased from his memory. Nevertheless, he held her hands and gave his vows. "Amy. When we were kids, and you'd tell the world, and even other worlds, that I was going to be your husband, I had always assumed you were a few cards short of a full deck. As it turns out, you were telling me about this moment. And while I may have never imagined being your husband back then, I can say now, in front of all these guests, that I can't imagine you not being my wife."

She witnessed his emotions coming back to his voice before he paused to breathe out his nerves. She rubbed his hands soothingly, encouraging him to continue.

"You have grown to be the most formidable, beautiful, and compassionate woman I've ever met. Being by your side everyday has made me the proudest guy there is." He paused, swallowing back the lump in his throat. "You make me feel like the luckiest man alive, and I want to spend the rest of our lives showing you just how much you mean to me." He said, trembling ever so slightly from holding back the overwhelming tears. "I love you."

"I love you too." Amy squealed through her weeping, embracing the blue hero. She kissed his cheek as they parted.

Wiping her tears away, Amy took the card she had written her vows on from Cream and began to read aloud. "Sonic. The fates have always told me we were going to be together. But no matter how much I read into the future, nothing could have prepared me for all that we've been through. You have seen me at my best, and seen me at my worse. No matter what, you have stayed strong for me. You are my rock, my life, my soulmate. And soon, you shall be my husband." A sob escaped her. "I cannot wait to continue this crazy journey by your side... I love you." She cried, letting out her whimpers.

Pulling the woman into another embrace, Sonic rubbed her back to comfort her.

Touched by the sentiment of the spoken words, Tails wiped away his tears. "These allergies are contagious." He joked, earning a faint chuckle from the attendees. "And now, Sonic. Do you take Amy Rose to be your wife? Do you promise to love, honour, and cherish her, forsaking all others, and holding only unto her forevermore?"

"I do." He responded, grinning at the pink hedgehog.

"And do you, Amy, take Sonic The Hedgehog, to be your husband? Do you promise to love, honour, and cherish him, forsaking all others, and holding only unto him forevermore?"

"I do." She sniffled, looking deep into her lover's eyes.

"Sonic and Amy will now exchange rings as a symbol of their eternal love. These rings will become a marking of your declaration, a landmark on your journey together as one. May these rings be a seal of your vows, that they shall go on forever." Tails turned to the young boy carrying the rings. "Chumley, you're up." He whispered.

The young walrus stepped forward and gave the rings to the couple. Smiling gratefully at the boy, the couple look back at one another held their rings in their hands.

"Sonic, please place the ring on Amy's left hand and repeat after me." He waited for Sonic to hold the ring to Amy's finger. "As a sign of my love."

"As a sign of my love."

"That I have chosen you."

"That I have chosen you."

"Above all else."

"Above all else."

"With this ring, I thee wed."

"With this ring, I thee wed."

Placing the ring on her finger, Sonic kissed his bride's hand. "Nice to know your hearing is in top condition. Now to test you, Amy." Tails teased. "Repeat after me. As a sign of my love."

"As a sign of my love."

"That I have chosen you."

"That I have chosen you."

"Above all else."

"Above all else."

"With this ring, I thee wed."

"With this ring, I thee wed." She said, placing the ring on Sonic's finger.

"Even in marriage, you must date your spouse. Never forget the love you have expressed with us all today. Marriage takes trust; to know that in your heart, you both want what is best for each other. It takes dedication to stay open to one another - To learn and grow together. Most importantly, it'll take commitment to uphold the vows you have both pledged today."

Clearing his throat a final time, Tails brought the ceremony to an end by declaring the couple as newly weds. "And finally, by the power bested in me, by some cheap website on the internet, it is my honour and a delight to declare you as Mr and Mrs The Hedgehog. You may kiss your bride."

Without regret nor fear, Sonic pulled his wife into his arms and sealed the deal of their marriage.

And opened another chapter in their realist love story.


End file.
